Patient 58
by Clockwork's Apprentice
Summary: In Arkham, Danny figures he's safe- there's no around that he can hurt. Then along came Batman with a proposal.
1. Prologue

**Author Note: Another YJ and DP fic! The poll winner!  
>~CWA<strong>

**Title: **Patient 58  
><strong>Summary: <strong>In Arkham, Danny figures he's safe- there's no around that he can hurt. Then along came Batman with a proposal.  
><strong>Genre: <strong>Friendship/Comfort  
><strong>Rated: <strong>T**  
>Disclaimer: <strong>_I do not own nor claim Danny Phantom. I do not own nor claim Young Justice._**  
>Notes: <strong>Obviously no PP. For those of you who read my stories, you know the drill- chapters will be longer than the prologue and please review!

**Prologue:**

**Danny:**

Contrary to what people thought, I wasn't crazy. I knew I was sane. There was no way my mind made up everything thing I remembered so it all had to be real… Unluckily. Though, if one went into specifics there was more than one type of crazy (several definitions I was sure I would fit into). Still, convincing these people I was absolutely insane wasn't hard to do. It was my best choice at the moment anyway. It was either stay in an insane asylum like Arkham for the rest of my days or go back to where I was before.

I couldn't go back to where I was before, that was not an option. That place… It was too bad. Too… too painful. The experiments. The torture. The mental scars caused…. Maybe I was crazy after all since there was no way anyone (human, ghost, mutant, alien or halfa) could go through all that unscathed. Saying 'unscathed' was a bit of stretch. I was defiantly _'scathed'_ I had the scars to prove it, both mental and physical.

I could escape if I wanted to, I knew that much. However, escaping would mean dealing with the world outside- dealing with my past and enemies (ghosts and otherwise). If I escaped, I would have to create a new life and deal with the trauma I had. Not to mention the danger just being around me caused. If I went out in the real world and had another episode, it would be devastating, especially if I took someone's life. I was a danger. In Arkham, the meds kept me under control and I had a life.

I was Patient 58- no one knew who I really was or what my name was (the inmates only know me as Patient 58 and only a select few have access to my file, which lists me as Phantom). I had a home in the cell at the bottom of the asylum where I only came out to eat in the courtyard with others. They gave me medication to deal with the night terrors and the flashbacks caused by PTSD. I knew which medications didn't work or weren't good for me to take like the ones they were giving me for hallucinations- though I wasn't really hallucinating… Unless everything really was not real and I honestly was a Looney convinced of ghosts and having ghost powers (though the powers were something they do not know about).

So for now, I would stay. The cell was comfortable enough- it was more of a containment section than a normal cell with the chains attached to my wrists and the high voltage door. I would stay where I couldn't hurt anyone. I would stay here, locked away… From now on, I was simply Patient 58.


	2. Courtyard

**Author's Note: I am only updating this again today because it's Halloween. Happy Halloween! I wonder what some of you are going to be! I'm making a homemade Dani Phantom costume! Be safe!  
>~CWA<strong>

**Chapter 1- Courtyard:**

**Danny:**

Arkham wasn't so bad, honestly. I mean, yeah there were murderers, rapists, and other low lives. Then there were people like the Joker and Penguin that were more high-degree villains that reminded of the ghosts I used to fight on a much higher, less moral scale. Then there the twisted guards that beat people for no reason and could be paid off by some of the villains in order to get free. Plus Dr. Strange well… I figured out that his name suit him. However, there were a few good guards that actually did there job and took it seriously and I was given food with a bit of security since I was labeled as 'dangerous.'

I did socialize, a bit anyway, whenever they guard let me out into the courtyard, which was where I was now. It looked like it normally did- filled with thugs, criminals and villains along with a lot of guards just outside the fence around the indoor court. The guards were needed nearly every day since fights constantly broke out, but unless it was a good guard, they usually did nothing to help anyway.

Fights, I learned, were practically the way of life inside Arkham. It was like a whole other city inside Gotham- locked away in the mindset that if it was out of sight, it was out of mind. Everything inside of Arkham was controlled by the criminals in it- no matter what others made you believe. The high-degree villains, especially ones like Black Mask, Joker, Penguin, and Two-Face had connections. They practically _owned_ Arkham, if not Gotham itself (which they would own the whole city if not for Batman). Fights were common since, a good portion of the time, it was way to let off steam without holding back (unless you were me since I was doing my best to keep my abilities to myself).

Since it was only the third time I had ever been out into the courtyard, despite being here for a month, I looked around. Joker wasn't around- I heard the guards say that he was labeled as too dangerous for any other inmate to be around. Penguin was playing chess with some guy. Two-Face was sitting at a table, flipping his coin in a bored manner with some of his goons around him. Of course, there were a lot of random thugs- they had to have done something pretty bad to be in Arkham- around. I spotted Harley Quinn off to the side of the yard doing cart-wheels. Poison Ivy was on one of the couches watching the news with a bored expression on her face. She glared at any man that came near her, and occasionally a few women unless it was Harley.

So the real question was… Where should I go? Most of the inmates looked like they were itching for a fight and I didn't feel like fighting anyone today- or ever if I planned on keeping my privilege of being able to come to the courtyard… So that left two options- try my hand at a chess game with Penguin or go on the couch and hope Ivy doesn't attack me. If I still needed to breath, I would have took a deep breath to gain some courage as I made my way over to the couch. I smiled timidly at Poison Ivy as she looked at me curiously with a bit of disdain.

I calmly took a seat on the couch, a bit far from her, and kept my eyes on the screen. I felt her eyes on me along with other people's eyes. Whether they were staring at me because I was next to Ivy or because of my appearance (with the white hair and glowing green/red eyes), I wasn't sure. Finally, I turned to Poison Ivy with a cautious smile,

"Nice morning, isn't it?"

"Yes," Poison Ivy said cautiously.

I just continued to smile and the other inmates were still watching, but they dispersed as Harley cart-wheeled over and threw herself over the cough to glare at me.

"Whatcha think you're doin' talkin' to my Ivy," she demanded.

"Having a nice conversation," I shrugged, "Not many people here are good conversationalists."

Harley nodded her head sternly, taking in my words. Ivy looked over me cautiously before cracking a small smile- I guessed I passed her test. Harley finally just smiled and hugged me tightly,

"Oh I can't be mad at you! You are just so cute! Isn't he a lil' cutie Ivy!?"

"Yes Harley," Ivy responded in a bored tone with an eye roll, though she looked a bit amused.

Harley finally let me go and I relaxed into the couch once again.

"What's your name, kid," Harley asked.

"I'm Patient 58…"

Harley didn't look that happy, muttering to herself about the loonies. She started to giggle to herself as she plopped down between me and Ivy. The group of on-lookers dispersed when they realized there wasn't going to fight, but I saw Penguin looking over curiously ever now and again. I looked at Harley through the corner of my eyes, a bit thankful that if she did something it wouldn't affect me- I didn't breathe so Joker gas wouldn't have an affect on me and I could always turn intangible to avoid attacks. She continued to giggle and smile,

"So whatcha in for," she asked me, "A lil' kid like you don't have any business here."

"He's probably a killer Harley," Ivy responded, "Most of the ones in here are and to be put in here so young, he'd have to do something big."

Harley looked at me in disbelief,

"You kill people, kiddie?"

I just gave her a Chesire grin and possibly the most creepy look I could muster. Did I kill people? Not many, but I did. I couldn't really be blamed though considering the circumstances that surrounded my rampage. My smile managed to make Harley shiver and Ivy looked at me curiously. Harley laughed,

"I like you, kid! You gotta nice smile! Not as nice as Puddin's of course, but close!"

I was almost flattered that she- _Harley Quinn_- thought my smile was almost as creepy as the Joker's. Harley wrapped her arms around Ivy and I and pulled us close,

"Somethin' tells me we're gonna be best friends!"


	3. Urges

**Author Note: The first few chapters are Danny's life in the Asylum. I'm going to update once every day for a while. Please review!  
>~CWA<strong>

**Chapter 2- Urges:**

**Danny:**

Another day, another medication. I took the ones I needed and the ones that worked for me, but the others I just cheeked to spit out when the guards weren't looking. It was just an average day, the way I liked it. The chains I had around my wrists and ankles were tight, but they weren't _too_ tight. I was still able to do basic push-ups and sit ups to help bring my strength up.

The guards outside my cell were talking like usual, unaware that the cell wasn't soundproof. I tried my best not to show how irritated I was that they were talking about me. I knew their names just like I knew everyone's names- it paid to know who were most likely going to be stuck with for a long time.

"I still don't get it," Joe said as he shook his head, "The kid's not that bad so why do we have to lock him up so tightly?"

"You read his files," Carlos pointed out, "So you know why. Don't let your guard down just because he looks young."

_Ah my files,_ I crinkled my nose. I wasn't sure what my files said other than the fact that my name was Phantom. What I did know was that the _other place_ didn't give Arkham the full story- hence why they had yet to know about my powers and real name… and what I really was. Though apparently it did say things bad enough to get me locked up this tightly- probably something about the destruction of Amity and the murder of the people. Something told me I didn't _want _to know what my file said.

"Still, you have to admit that he is one of the most behaved patients we have. Like Humpty Dumpty," Joe continued.

I titled my head in curiosity. I knew about Humpty. He wasn't _that_ bad, there certainly was worse. Like me, Humpty preferred being in Arkham and he did okay as long as he did the therapy sessions (which then held his urge to take things apart and put them back together). Keeping up the façade of being insane, I smiled a smile that would send shivers down most the inmates' spines when the guards looked up at me.

Joe shivered,

"Most the time this one's okay, but you have to admit, Patient 58 is still pretty creepy."

"Agreed."

I continued to just smile and look as if I was staring into oblivion.

* * *

><p>When they allowed me into the courtyard, it was the highlight of my day. After I did so well last time, they've been letting me out more often as long as I behaved. I always behaved and didn't plan on messing up the one thing that brought me a small amount of joy. Like usual, Poison Ivy was sitting on her spot on the couch. Harley was no where to be seen. I wasn't sure if she had escaped (again) or if she had done something to put her in solitary confinement like last time. There were few options about what I could do- talking to one of the more tolerable inmates, playing chess with Penguin, try my hand at poker (with cigarettes or body parts as the currency), talk to Ivy, or maybe even talk to Humpty (who was in the back, muttering to himself).<p>

Deciding to leave Ivy alone for a while, I headed over to the Penguin, who was cackling about beating yet another person at chess.

The defeated inmate headed off with his head low as I took his seat. The penguin looked at me, dead in the eyes. When I didn't back down or show any emotion, he seemed impressed.

"A new inmate?"

"I've been here for a while," I shrugged, "So chess?"

Vlad had been trying to get me into chess…. I held back a shiver at the memory of Vlad. Despite his previous actions, he proved to be a good man in the end. Still, I hated to admit that I found chess rather entertaining.

"Have you played chess before, my boy," Penguin, or Mr. Cobblepot, asked.

I nodded and then we began the game. It took an hour, but it was a close game as Penguin took out my queen. He looked at me rather impressed,

"Not most can last this long with me…. You're welcome to come back anytime."

"I do what I can, sir," I said politely, taking my leave, "I enjoyed the game."

He gave me a nod- a sign of acknowledgement and dismissal. I walked over towards Ivy, who seemed pleased to see me.

"It gets rather dull without Harley around."

I nodded in agreement as I took my seat on the couch, a reasonable amount of distance between us. It really did seem quiet without Harley. Sure, there was a lot of talking and fighting going around, but it didn't seem as loud or as entertaining without Harley. Ivy flipped through the channels that was on the TV (that had bars over it so no normal inmate could destroy it). We sat in silence for a while, but it wasn't uncomfortable. At least, to me it wasn't.

"Harley is still a bit disappointed she doesn't know your name," Ivy suddenly said, without looking directly at me.

I looked at her and shrugged,

"It's not important."

"What if you get out of here?"

"I doubt they'll let me go as long as I claim to be insane."

She quirked an eyebrow,

"Are you saying you're not insane?"

"It's a matter of opinion," I said honestly, "But really, I don't plan on leaving Arkham anytime soon, or even anytime at all. It's nicer than where I was before."

"And here I thought Arkham was as worse as it got."

Ivy didn't say much more after that until one of the guys started bothering her. I knew she didn't want to beat him up or use her powers because then she wouldn't be able to come to the courtyard for a while- which was the only place she could watch the News and that reality show she liked. Normally, Harley would take care of it because she didn't care about solitary confinement (which was why she ended up there so often). However, it looked like I would have to take care of it this time. Since it was Ivy he was bothering, most of the other inmates (including Penguin) looked over curiously, hoping for some action. _I hate to disappoint._

I stood up from the couch and moved to place myself between the low-life and Ivy. She seemed to calm down a bit when I did that, but she stared at me in curiosity. The man, however, was not intimated in the slightest. Who could blame him? I wasn't tall and I was barely even muscled. I had lost a lot of weight and neared being just bones- I was slowly gaining some weight here at Arkham (despite the bad tasting food, it was food). The man was tall, about six feet, and _very_ muscular. His mohawk, piercings and tattoos just made him seem that more tough. Yet I just stood in front of him calmly.

He let out a bellowing laugh,

"You look like you're about to threaten me, kid! And I know you aren't, right?"

He towered over me, his foul smelling breath caused me to crinkle my nose. I stood my ground,

"Not threatening per say. After all, I don't wish to fight you- solitary confinement doesn't suit me. However, I would appreciate it if you left Miss Ivy alone. That is no way to treat a woman."

Ivy gave a small appreciated smile, but the man just continued to laugh. I noticed that the guards were watching too, but they made no effort to get ready to stand in between us. A few of the other inmates laughed, but it didn't bother me. By now, I learned to tune out the laughter and any other form of mockery so I didn't have an episode. However, the man in particular was pissing me off for trying to touch Ivy. He better tread carefully. I wouldn't have to use my powers to take him down, at least no noticeable powers.

Finally, the guy made his move. His fist traveled through the air and tried to hit my face, but I smoothly dodged it. For a moment, I could feel my eyes starting to glow red again. I resisted the urges to just end the fight _forever_. A swift punch to the throat or jumping and snapping his neck would kill him. I dodged a few more hits before the urge to just kill him went away. He let out a frustrated grunt and went to punch me again. I dodged each one easily,

"I think it's best we end this quickly. Ivy said the new episode of _Housewives_ is on and she's looking forward to me watching it with her."

I dodged another hit as I grabbed his fist and turned it, bringing him to his knees in seconds using not even a small fraction of my true strength. Once he was down, I sent a swift hit to a few pressure points, knocking him out. He was down for the taking. A few of the inmates looked bored now that the 'entertainment' was done. Ivy looked like she appreciated the gesture of me taking him out for her or because I remembered her telling me about _Housewives. _

The guards now stepped in, looking stern like usual,

"Patient 58," one of them barked.

I put up a hand and walked towards them calmly,

"I know, solitary confinement… See ya later, Ivy. Sorry it looks like I won't be able to watch _Housewives_ with you after all."


	4. Solitary Confinement

**Chapter 3- Solitary Confinement:**

**Danny:**

I had been in solitary confinement before. I hated it. I hated the silence. I hated being alone with my thoughts. My memories. At least in my usual cell, there was some sound. I could hear the guards talking or the rattling of the chains on me. In confinement, I was put into a straight jacket and just locked up tightly. There was no chains. There was no noise of talking. There was just me. Not even a single sound of breathing entered my ears because I didn't breath. The only sound I could make and hear was the sound of the straight jacket's fabric stretching and moving. It brought little comfort, but at least it reminded me I was in reality.

I twisted around slightly as I tried to get to sleep, fearing whatever nightmares I would have this time.

* * *

><p><em>I screamed in agony as I hunched over. My sides were burning and there was ectoplasmic blood all over me- all of it was mine. Sloppy stitches barely held me together.<em>

_I looked at my hands horrified. My reflection in the shiny floor showed snow white hair and red eyes. I was trying to change back into my human form- if I was in human form then maybe they would take mercy on me. It was a desperate attempt, I would admit, but it was the last shot I had to get them to go a bit easy so I would be able to regain my strength. With my strength up, I would be able to hopefully take them out. Oh how I wish I to take them out, destroy them. My hair turned to flames briefly as I continued to stare at my hands._

_I was still in ghost form. Why wasn't I changing back? Why wasn't it working? I focused on my core, but I couldn't find it. I couldn't find that warmth, that human part of my core that allowed me to switch. Why wasn't it there? _

_I froze as it clicked. I couldn't change back into human. I never would be able to again. _

_I'm dead. I'm a ghost- a real ghost. They killed me. _

_They'll pay for this._

* * *

><p><em>I didn't know what his name was. All I knew was that he was the newest 'toy' for the Guys in White. He was a younger ghost, older than me, but still seemed pretty oblivious to everything. Due to his attire, I would say he probably died sometime in the 1920s. His ebony skin made his red eyes stand out. He was stuck in the room next to mine. He looked at me with awe and absolute horror. <em>

_"You're Phantom, aren't ya? I heard about ya, I did. Name's Bayou. Where are we? What did 'ey do to ya?"_

_I didn't answer him, instead I found the ground much more interesting. I was still trying to adjust to being full ghost. The experiments hurt nearly ten times as worse, but the bright side was that I was healing faster than I did in the past. _

_"Guys in White, ghost hunters… Experiments," was all I managed to say before an agent went to drag me away. _

_Bayou crinkled his nose and I wasn't sure, but it seemed as if he was scheming. I was sure, however, that he could hear my screams from the room down the hall._

* * *

><p><em>A week after Bayou showed up, there was a breakout. Apparently, he was a magic-based ghost, or as he called it 'voodoo' and 'dark magic.' He made a point to save me, saying that I was the only one who respected him in the joint (or something along those lines, it was heard to hear with all the noise). I was pretty sure he did a spell on me. I could feel power running through my veins. I felt healthier. <span>Stronger.<span> Agents were running around, firing, capturing ghosts, ending others. I wanted to destroy them all, but I needed to get out first. I would come back for my revenge later. Bayou, however, was hell bent on destroying everything now. I ended up staying to help him, but I didn't kill anyone. Not yet. For helping him, Bayou handed me a small little amulet, said that it would bring me good luck. It was right before an agent managed to end Bayou._

_They will pay. They took my family. My friends. They ended everyone I cared about and now they kill a new friend. They've been ending ghosts. It's time I even it out. _

_I was free. I looked up, my eyes turning red- I could feel it. My hairs went into flames and I was vaguely aware of the hatred filling my core. Everything that happened was a bit of a blur. I remembered killing a few agents. I remember seeing just red. I recall destroying everything I came across and saving ghosts. I was on a rampage, laughing as I sent half the agency ablaze._

_Unluckily, they managed to capture me with the use of blood blossoms and ghost tranquilizers._

_The last thing I recalled was them talking about getting me transferred somewhere else until the agency was rebuilt._

* * *

><p>It took me a little bit over a week in solitary confinement with good behavior for me to be allowed back into the courtyard. I gently rubbed my chest, the flashbacks still etched into my mind. The amulet Bayou had given me had… <em>transformed…<em>I suppose it was a defense mechanism. Either way, what used to be an amulet was now a tattoo that resembled an amulet on a chain on my chest. _Some luck this brought me… Though maybe it is the reason I'm here and not in some other GiW agency._

I looked around for Harley. Even in solitary confinement, I heard things- _rumors_. Of course the guards didn't know about it, but a few of the inmates did. Harley was planning a break out for every last criminal in the prison so she could get her 'Mister. J' out of the big house and back on the streets.

It didn't take long to find Harley. She was laughing loudly with Ivy, like usual. Ivy was rolling her eyes, but she looked mildly amused at Harley. As soon as I got over there, Harley stopped talking to hug me tightly,

"Oh! You're back! How did you like solitary confinement?"

"Dull," I said honestly, "So… I heard you're planning a-"

Harley put her hand over my mouth, muffling my words. I gave her an annoyed look and she let me go, ruffling my hair,

"Sorry kid, but we can't talk about it so openly!"

She gave out a cackling laugh. I rolled my eyes and plopped down to Ivy, whispering to her,

"If we can't talk about it so openly, how the hell did I manage to find out about it in solitary confinement?"

"Welcome to the Arkham Gossip Mill," Ivy rolled her eyes, "Speaking of, you were in the gossip mill yourself."

"I was?"

I crinkled my nose in confusion. Harley was still busy laughing to her self and was currently over annoying Penguin, leaving Ivy and I alone to talk (sort of).

"After your episode in the courtyard that landing you in solitary, yes… How did you manage that? I wasn't aware you a beanstalk like you was packing strength."

"I didn't use even a fraction of my strength," I said honestly, "I… I have a lot of power, actually."

"Oh buddy," Harley chirped as she came back over, "When I break out of this joint, I could swing by your cell and get you too. Same to you Ivy."

"Appreciated Harley," Ivy said.

"No thanks, Har," I shook my head.

Both of them looked at me like I was more insane than the Joker. Harley let out a startled gasp,

"You don't want to get out?"

"If I get out, it'll be when I get better, _if_ get better," I informed them, "But I actually like it here, so no thanks. I appreciate it though."

Harley didn't look so convinced, but she nodded,

"Uh-huh, _sure_. If you say so."


	5. Big Break

**Author Note: Finally, the Dark Knight makes an appearance... No, Gear won't be making an appearance in this fic at all. And thanks for all the favorites and follows! Please review!  
>~CWA<strong>

**Chapter 4- Big Break: **

**Third Person:**

Danny couldn't help but sigh as he heard all the alarms go off. There was a break out. No doubt Harley's plan to get Joker free again was in action. He was a bit surprised, however, when his guards got knocked out and Ivy revealed herself. She gave him a small smile before she bust his cell and broke his chains,

"Everyone wants to be free, kid, no matter what they say."

With that, she was gone, leaving him to his thoughts. He was a bit frustrated, after all he told them he didn't want to be busted out. In fact he didn't want any part in the whole breakout. Then when punishments were given, he would not have go to solitary confinement. It looked like his plans were thrown out the cell window. He briefly thought of just fixing up his cell and going back in there, but then he heard the sounds of fighting. _They took the guards out easily enough, so who are they fighting? Each other? No it sounds like something else… _He felt a small urge in him- not to kill, but _something else._ Something he hadn't felt in awhile. _I'm so going to regret this._

He turned invisible and headed up through the asylum until he reached the outside, where many of the inmates (powerful and otherwise) were trying to make their escape. Ivy was poisoning many of the men to fight for her way out. When he turned visible, Ivy gave him a smile in acknowledgement. Harley was no where to be seen, but more than likely she was escaping out the back with Joker- or she got caught. He watched in curiosity as a bat-like figure fought the prisoners. Though he just had to _look_ at some of them for them to go back inside, others he said only brief words to before they disappeared back into Arkham. _He actually talked to them… Does he… care about us?_

Danny's brows furrowed as he turned visible a bit away from the fight. His eyes were focused on the mysterious figure. He desperately ransacked his mind before finally a name came to him. _Batman- fitting._ He remembered some of the other inmates, Ivy and Harley included, complaining about Batman. Though Babydoll said that Batman wasn't _that_ bad since he did try to help her- a few of the others said the same thing. _So what's his deal? He's not killing the prisoners, he's just taking them down._ His eyes widened, _he's a hero._ An urge hit Danny in his core and he cursed to himself when he realized just what that urge was- to help.

Before he could even think about it too much, Danny started to take down the inmates. He didn't touch Ivy or the men she poisoned, but he gladly took out the inmates that bothered him. He even managed to talk a few into going back into Arkham willingly. Batman watched him, but he didn't say anything. Danny turned to him,

"Duck!"

Danny jumped over Batman and kicked one of the inmates with a knife that was trying to sneak up on the Dark Knight. Danny and Batman shared a nod and continued to work. The Gotham police did all they could at the gates of Arkham, keeping as many as they could from escaping. Batman stopped one of the inmates from hitting Commissioner Gordon, who gave a nod of acknowledgement,

"No Robin?"

"Busy."

It wasn't long before nearly everyone was back in Arkham. The only ones missing were Poison Ivy, Harley, Penguin, Two-Face, and Joker. Of course Danny was technically missing as well as he was still outside Arkham in the yard.

Batman turned to the mysterious helper, but Danny just raised his hand in peace,

"Yeah, yeah, me too. I'm going, I'm going… Send Ivy and Harley back soon as you can, they're good conversationalists."

* * *

><p>Batman took off his cowl as he sat down at the Batcomputer. Robin was away on Team business, but perhaps that was a good thing. It left him alone to work in peace. He typed away at the computer, his mind on the patient who helped him. The number on his uniform said <em>58.<em> It took a while before finally, all the files came up. A picture of the white haired teen showed on the screen along with his Arkham file. _Patient 58- Phantom. _

Bruce read through the information Arkham had on the boy. His real name wasn't listed, but his alias _Phantom_ was. According to their records, he was sixteen years old and showed no signs of abnormal abilities aside from abnormal vital signs (abnormal was a bit of a stretch, Bruce learned, as the records said that the boy had _no vitals to take)._ The guards reported that Phantom did well- always took his meds, rarely got into fights, treated patients and guards with respect unless the guard was corrupted. He was a poster-child of a good patient (if such a thing existed at Arkham). However, farther investigating revealed that he was transferred from a secret government facility.

"I fail to see how he grabbed your attention, Master Bruce," Alfred called, "Considering the villains you face."

"He's a mystery, Alfred. I have to find out."

Narrowing his eyes, Bruce continued to work and hack. More files were brought up from the facility- the Guys in White. Even he was unsure what they did or who they served as he couldn't find anything. It was like it was erased for good. However, their files were still there so there had been bare scraps of the facility left at least. As he looked through Phantom's files from the Guys in White, he blinked in disbelief. Every line on Phantom's personal file brought more questions up.

His real name was Daniel Fenton (labeled as officially dead, most likely to keep people from looking for him, but the files from the Guys in White said otherwise). He came from a small town called Amity Park (research on the town didn't bring up much- someone erased nearly _all_ information on the town). Amity was practically spotless, but apparently gone from some _'mysterious gas explosion' _that took out the town killing everyone in it. His parents were inventors and self-proclaimed ghost hunters (despite their ridiculous professions, they were geniuses). He had standard, slightly below average grades. He had been hospitalized more than once- though all the hospital visits started when he reportedly had an accident in his parents' lab.

He had abnormal powers. _The boy has power… Why hasn't he used it to break out or on the other inmates?_ It didn't list what the powers were, just _level S _in power, which was impressive in itself. Still, Bruce thought it was likely he gained the powers from that first hospitalization when Danny was fourteen- when everything seemed to start (hospitalizations and lower grades)._ His powers may also be the reason he looks so drastic from the picture of Fenton- a wig and contacts would keep it hidden._

Reports revealed that Daniel was captured forcibly as they fought anyone who got into their way- which included the boy's family. Bruce narrowed his eyes. Corrupted agencies made him sick. Corrupted agencies _that killed families_ made him _angry_. His fist hit the desk harshly in anger.

As he read more and more files, the knot in his stomach grew. The experiments were listed in detail, some with videos. It was no wonder that Patient 58- _that Danny_- had to take all those medicines. He desperately needed them. _And it's no wonder he likes Arkham, compared to this place, Arkham's heaven. _Though, the boy did belong in Arkham. He did go on a rampage- _twice._ It was after the first one that he was captured (apparently the official _'gas leak _explosion' was a cover up for the rampage) and the second one was only recently- the reason he was transferred.

Still, Bruce thought it the green eyed boy he saw and the hidden potential in those eyes.


	6. Visitor

**Chapter 5- Visitor:**

**Danny:**

The good news was that I didn't have solitary confinement. The bad news was that nearly everyone in the courtyard probably hated me and would pick a fight with me the second they could. Thankfully I didn't have to worry about that since my punishment was no time in the court. Though that did mean that I had too much time on my hands with an overwhelming amount of boredom.

I thought back to the other day. The urge to help had worked itself into my core so I couldn't help it, I had to help, had to protect. Yet why? I was a full ghost now so I was bound to have an obsession. An obsession to protect seemed reasonable since I failed to protect everyone I cared about. Did that make me a hero again? _No. Not after everything I did. I doubt there's anything that I can do to make up for what I've done._

I was left alone with my thoughts. At least in my cell, there was some noise. The guards outside my door were whispering to each other about me like usual. I kind of tuned them out to focus on a different type of noise. I listened to the footsteps, the bugs, the sound of the doors, the alarm system, _everything_. In a way, it just kind of anchored me. _I'm here not at the other place. I'm relatively safe for now. _

I sighed deeply (more out of habit than a need for air), but looked up as the door opened. To say I was surprised to see Batman entering the room was an understatement. I probably stood there with my open for a full minute before I finally closed it. _Keep in character. He may want to take me away to the other place. _

"Ghosts are everywhere," I muttered to myself, "They're all around us. I see them. We often fight."

Batman didn't even comment, he just stood at me. The guards shared an uneasy look, whispering to themselves about whose fault it was that '_Patient 58 didn't take his meds.' _ I continued on my rant,

"Not all ghosts are bad. Some are friends, good friends. We talk. I even talked to the Greek Pandora. She knighted me."

I wasn't sure what the sad part was- me trying to convince _the _Batman that I was crazy so he would leave or that everything I was saying was actually true.

"There used to be a king of the ghosts. He was terrible. He tried to take over, he did, but I stopped him. I always stop the bad people…"

Finally, Batman spoke up- _just when I was getting to the part about me being a king too._

"Drop the act."

Those three words made me freeze. My core seemed to get colder. The guards shared an uneasy look. _No use lying to the frickin' Batman. _I pouted slightly,

"Ah, you're no fun."

Apparently he wasn't nearly as amused as I was,

"You realize that acting like that will keep you in here?"

"That's the point. This place is a lot better than the other place," I said honestly, "I mean, the people there should be the ones locked up here in a heavily padded room if you get what I mean."

I shifted my weight uncomfortably. The guards looked pretty confused, but they didn't say anything. I noticed there was another man with Batman too. He looked older and the badge on his belt showed he was a cop. I supposed even Batman had to follow the rules of getting permission to visit. I turned to the man,

"Who are you?"

"The Commissioner," the man said carefully.

"Okay. What are you guys doing here? I don't get visitors."

I shrugged slightly, but they were both still unresponsive. Batman took a step forward, daring to get closer to my cell.

"During the breakout, you helped."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"To be honest, I just wanted to help," I said, "And I knew if I did try to get away I would end up in solitary confinement. I don't like solitary confinement. Too quiet."

I muttered to myself about the horrors of solitary confinement until the Commissioner (who the other patients described as the one uncorrupted cop in Gotham) coughed to get my attention. I gave a sheepish smile and felt my face heat up- _way to go, I embarrassed myself in front of the Dark Knight. _

"Sorry, continue," I urged, "Like I said, I don't get visitors so this visit is… a welcome alternative to boredom."

Batman continued questioning for awhile. It was simple questions. Most would have been asked by the Arkham psychologist- if there was a good, _uncorrupted_ psychologist that was. Whatever his plan or test was, I was pretty sure I passed as he gave a curt nod to the guards and the commissioner.

"Be good for a week," Batman said firmly, "One full week- no fights, no solitary confinement, _nothing_…"

"Okay," I said slowly, not sure where he was going with it.

"-And tell me how you ended up here. Then I will see what I can do about getting you declared sane."

I blinked in shock. Out of all the things I expected Batman to say- _that_ was not one of them. _Declared sane?_ Just because I would be declared sane doesn't mean that I wouldn't still be a patient, but it would be the first step in getting out. Plus, I wouldn't have to take those useless medications anymore (or rather, I wouldn't have to _act_ like I was taking them anymore). Yet why would I want to get declared sane if it meant leaving? I didn't want to leave- not yet. I had no where to go… Then again, if I got declared sane here, then I would be out forever and I could run before the Guys in White find me.

As for telling him how I got to Arkham, I was sure he already knew- he was after all _The Batman_. Though a great detective always sees both sides of the story. I was flattered that he wanted to know my side of the story. No one ever wanted to hear my side of the story. Though the most important thing was that Batman was helping me.

I titled my head,

"Why are you helping me?"

"You are of interest. That is all."

The glare, or apparent glare, made it obvious that I had to answer him now or never.

"One good week, huh," I mused, "I can do that."

"Good. Now start talking."

Batman motioned for the guards to leave. They did and they took Commissioner with them, leaving just Batman and I. I opened my mouth and I began to speak…


	7. The Past

**Author Note: Batman already kind of knows how Danny got his powers- not the details, obviously, but it was mentioned that he figured Danny got his powers from the first hospitalization that happened when he had a lab accident.**

**~CWA**

**Chapter 6- The Past:**

**Danny:**

_"The Guys in White are a secret organization in the government, very off the books. Their sole mission is to take down… people… like me. I'm not sure how they found out about me, but I knew when they decided to act on it… I… I'm sure you know who I am- you're freaking Batman for a reason… So you know that I had a family? I had a girlfriend I could see spending the rest of my life with. I had a best friend. I had big sister. I had parents… And they decided that someone like me, some freak of nature can't have that…. "_

_"Why did they think you were a freak of nature?"_

_"I think you know why, Bats, because it's true. But they took everything I loved away on possibly one of the most happiest days of my life or at least it was supposed to be."_

I walked through the doors of my house, smiling. Today was Sam and I's second year anniversary, how could I _not_ smile? I had it all planned out too- thanks to help from Tucker, and Jazz. Mom and Dad tried to help with ideas and I had just let them rant about the ideas without the heart to tell them that my plan did _not_ involve ghosts and they did _not_ need to follow Sam and I tonight to protect us. I owed Jazz a _lot_ for convincing our parents that Sam and I were going to be fine and safe tonight.

My plan was to take Sam to cliff nearby. She wasn't much of a romantic, though I secretly suspected she liked romance more than she would admit, so I didn't want to do anything _too_ overly romantic. I had a simple picnic, planned with some of her favorite foods. I had a map so I could point out the different constellations tonight. She said that she loved star-gazing with me and I loved it too. Finally, inside my back pocket, I had a cheesy love poem written. Sam loved poetry and while she hated cheesy poems, I knew it would make her smile. That was what mattered- making her smile, laugh, _happy._

"Hey Jazz," I said as I set my backpack down, "I was thinking tonight- should I do black roses or red roses? Actually, I think I should do violets. Those are her favorites. What do you think?"

I stopped talking when I realized I was getting no reply. Actually there was no sound at all- no footsteps, no Mom yelling, no mechanic noises from the lab. There was nothing. Slightly unsettled, I ventured downstairs to the lab. A knot was forming in my stomach. Something was wrong. Something was _very _wrong. I slowly opened the door and walked down the stairs, my heart beating rapidly.

_"I didn't know what to expect. I just knew something was off. I could feel it in my gut. I thought maybe Dad had blown something up again… Nothing prepared me for what was really down there… They had my parents… My friends… My sister… My girlfriend."_

My heart seemed to stop as I saw the agents- the Guys in White. They were standing stern and expressionless. Beside them stood my parents, Jazz, Tucker, and Sam. They were tied up and gagged. Sam's violet eyes pleaded for me to help her. My fists clenched. I tried to calm myself down, to not get _too_ angry. I could save them. I always saved them. I was a hero.

"Let them go," I growled.

At that moment, I didn't care about my parents knowing my secret. I let the rings wash over me and I was ready to fight. Their eyes were wide and Sam looked hopeful- as did Tucker and Jazz.

_"They expected me to save them. The Guys in White knew about my powers. They had… weapons… designed specifically to hold me, to fight against me… I didn't stand a chance."_

The agents were able to take me down quicker than I would like to admit. I was beaten up pretty badly as they bound my wrists. It burned and I could feel the wounds forming. I tasted blood in my mouth. The only thing that brought me satisfaction was that one of the agents were beaten up just as badly as I was. I refused to use my full strength on them. I didn't want to kill them, just take them down…

"_That was my mistake. I should have killed them when I had the chance. Then maybe they would be alive… The agents… They… They said that my parents and friends were under suspicion for having… powers… as well. I know that's bullshit. They 'tested their theory'… For a government agency, they were pretty off-the-books and full of shit…"_

I watched in horror as one by one, they were killed. First was Dad because he was the biggest. Then went Mom. Then went Tucker. Then Jazz. Finally, there was just Sam. Her violet eyes were staring into my eyes. She tried to tell me something. I wasn't sure what it was because I was too busy trying to get free.

"NO," I screeched, "NO! DON'T KILL HER! SAM! SAM! I LOVE HER!"

_"Do you know what's it like when you fail to save someone you love? To watch the life drain from their eyes, to have those eyes haunt you forever? Imagine seeing five people you love and care about die and you might begin to understand how I felt."_

I let out a gut-retching sob. My heart felt like it was torn and tossed away in the gutter. I hunched over and threw up before I continued to cry even more.

_"The other place… The Guys in White facility… They were cruel. They did so many experiments. All of it hurt. Killed a part of me even. But none of it compared to the pain I felt from their deaths… And it was all the Guys in White… It was their fault. For the first time in my life, I was truly angry- that pure anger that vibrates your bones, your chest, your everything. The anger that makes you see red and you don't see clearly… I was so angry and I took it out on everyone, everything… I destroyed the whole town. Everything. I killed every single person and not a single one could stop me. The Guys in White, they're sick bastards. They didn't care that I was killing everything and everyone. They stood on the sidelines and watched and at the time, I was just so insane that I didn't even notice them. I just…"_

They're all gone. Every last person. Dash. Paulina. Star. Mr. Lancer. Every one. Even Sam's family, Tucker's family. Vlad came. He tried to stop me. He got in my way. I killed him too. He won't be coming back. The whole town was in ruins, there was absolutely nothing left.

_"…I heard the Guys in White blamed it on a gas leak, or something, but when I was done, everything caught up with me. The grief, I guess. I passed out. They captured me."_

_"What happened at the facility to get you transferred here?"_

_"Another inmate they had let everyone out in a huge break out. I… I was so angry at them still and I finally had a clear enough head to focus my anger onto them. So I let it out. I destroyed half their facility and they transferred me here because they figured you and Arkham could keep me in check…. If not, I guess they figured that if I was away from them, I wasn't their problem."_

_"…How long were you there?"_

_"About six months… It's barely been seven months since they killed my family… I… All this blood on my hands, all the lives I took, and you still want me to have a second chance?"_

_"…Do you know what makes you different from everyone else here in Arkham?"_

_"I have a good sense of humor?"_

_"No. You regret it. You have remorse. You feel guilty for every life you took. Do you know how many lives Joker has taken?"_

_"Hundreds?"_

_"Thousands. And so many others in here have killed too. Not a single one of them feels guilty about what they did and if given the chance, they would do it again. But you? You want to change, don't you?"_

_"Yes, but there's nothing I can do to make up for the lives I took…"_

_"No it can't. You took lives. But you won't do it again. That's what makes you different. For that, you are going to get a second chance. Screw it up and you're through."_

_"….I didn't know you were so talkative."_

_"You remind me of someone I know."_


	8. Little Talks

**Author Note: Thank you so much for the reviews! Danny meets the team next chapter! Sorry it's been taking so long, most of it was so you understand what happened to Danny.  
>~CWA<strong>

**Chapter 7- Little Talks:**

**Third Person:**

Harley and Ivy were quick to forgive Danny about taking down the inmates during the break out. After all, he didn't take out them or any of the other big shots. He only took down the petty patients. Though they were a bit upset that he did technically help the Batman until he explained he had no reason to fight the Bat. The other inmates, however, were still a bit angry at him.

Danny sat with Penguin playing yet another game of chess, unaware of the females that were talking about him. Ivy sat at her usual spot with Harley nearly hung around her neck. Harley had her arms wrapped around Ivy's neck from behind as she leaned in to whisper,

"I'm tellin' ya, Red. Something's up with _Casper!"_

_Casper _was the nickname Harley had given their young friend. His white hair and spooky appearance reminded Harley of a ghost. He nearly passed out when he heard the nickname for the first time, yet he got used to it when he found out that if he hated it Harley would just use it more.

Ivy rolled her eyes,

"He seems perfectly fine to me."

"You sayin' there's nothin' wrong with him?"

Harley scratched at her head in confusion. Ivy sighed,

"No Ivy. There's something wrong with him. There's wrong with everyone here. But Fifty-Eight? He seems different."

"I know," Harley agreed, "He's creepy and that's comin' from me! I ain't even seen him blink or breath the whole time he's been 'ere! He really lives up to his nickname, Red, I'm tellin' ya."

"You're imagining things, Harley, just let it go."

Though Poison Ivy did think about it and hated to admit that her joker of a friend did have a point.

* * *

><p>Robin grumbled to himself as he paced in the cave in Mount. Justice. According to Batman, there may be a new teammate soon if everything worked out. However, Batman wouldn't tell him who! It was unlike the Dark Knight to keep things from his protégé and Batman changed all the passwords and locks on the computer leaving Robin with absolutely nothing! <em>Who is it going to be? What other heroes have a protégé? Didn't Black Lightening get a new protégé? Or was that Gypsy? Maybe it's not even a protégé, maybe it's some young solo hero but that's unlikely. I would have seen them on the news and know. <em>

He continued to think to himself as the others looked at him curiously. Connor jabbed his thumb towards Robin,

"What's his problem?"

"'on't 'ow," Wally mumbled with his mouth of chips. He swallowed and continued, "Maybe it has something to do with Batman. Rob!"

Robin's head whipped towards his friend, but it was clear he wasn't happy. He was scowling and glared at Wally briefly,

"What?!"

"What's going on," Wally asked cautiously, "You're never this overwhelmed."

"I'm whelmed," Robin argued, "I'm totally whelmed! I just… Batman said we might get a new member soon and I can't figure out who!"

Megan furrowed her brows,

"You mean he didn't tell you?"

"No and I have no idea why not. But I've been going through a list of potential candidates, but none of them seem to really fit the bill. I even checked out the solo heroes that are around our age, but none of them seem like they would even consider a team. It's not often Bats leaves me out of his plans…."

Robin plopped down on a chair, sighing in frustration. It was driving him nuts not knowing. He was trying his best to get the information. He interrogated Alfred. He begged Bruce. He tried to hack the computers, which when he _finally_ did get in, there was absolutely nothing on the computers which meant Bruce cleared it. Yet he had no idea…

But he was going to find out eventually.

* * *

><p>As Danny stood in his usual cell, he thought about Batman and what he told him. <em>I'm gonna get a second chance… <em>He knew he didn't deserve it and he feared what he might do if he had another episode or rampage after he got out. If he messed it up, there would be no more chances. The Guys in White would take him down again, or at least whatever agents were left in the agency, and he would go back to the _other place._ If he was lucky, he would pass out after a rampage or episode and Batman would take him back to Arkham. He clenched his fists. _But I'm not going to mess up_. He knew it was a stretch getting declared sane because technically speaking, he really wasn't. Still, with the medications he took, he could at least _get better_. That had to be good enough right? Batman wouldn't get him declared sane unless he believed in it.

His core seemed to clench as he remembered everything he told Batman. He was careful to leave out details about being a half ghost. He had too much on his plate without dealing with Batman knowing about that. All Bats knew was that he had powers. He knew the Guys in White had wiped out Amity's information to cover up his rampage (the rampage being only mentioned in the reports) and so it also covered up the fact that his rampage was their fault. It was doubtful that Batman knew about Amity's ghosts, but it was likely he knew about Daniel Fenton- who was declared dead, but in the Guys in White's files, they listed that as his real name. Batman likely looked into the files that the Guys in White had so he knew about the rampage (hence why he explained it).

If he did get a second chance, if he didn't ruin it, he may… He may get the redemption he needs or at least, he may get to help people again. The corner of his lips twitched into a smile as Batman walked into the room. The Dark Knight had mastered the poker face so it was impossible to tell if he was about to receive good or bad news. Batman stopped a mere inch away from the cell. A woman that Danny recognized as the head warden stepped in. She didn't seem that pleased, but she did give Danny a small smile,

"Patient Fifty-Eight, Daniel Phantom, you are declared as legally sane. You will be set free and shall be under constant watch by Batman. Do you accept these terms?"

"Yes."


	9. A New Identity,New Life, New Team

**Author Note: I decided to be nice today and updated twice.  
>~CWA<strong>

**Chapter 8- A New Identity, A New Life, And A New Team:**

**Third Person:**

Danny was ecstatic. He was concerned. He was sad. He was every emotion he could possibly be except for angry all because Batman decided that since he had powers, he had to put them to good use. Not that Danny was going to complain. He was just worried about working on a team. _What if I get close to them only to go on another rampage? _He twiddled his thumbs nervously. He wasn't even Danny anymore. Not Fenton. He knew his cover story by heart.

Batman told him if anyone on the team asked, his name was _Daniel Maynard. _He was sixteen years old, which was true. He grew up in Wisconsin (Danny nearly had a core-attack at that small detail). His parents died in a car accident with his older sister when he was fifteen. His parents were scientists. He went to high school. He was a normal teen until an accident with some chemicals in his parents' lab when he was fourteen caused him to gain powers. He kept his powers a secret until after his parents died. He did small hero work, not being recognized by the media and barely recognized by the locals, that eventually led to Batman noticing him to offer a position on the team which he accepted. He doubted anyone would ask though, but with a full cover developed it was unlikely anyone would find out the truth. His hero name, which Batman chose since Danny couldn't think of anything, was Spirit. According to Batman, it was because he got his spirit back. According to Danny, the fates had a sick sense of irony and loved to torture him. He even got a new outfit- his HAZMAT suit was long gone, being destroyed by the Guys in White, and the only clothes he had were the prisoner clothes from Arkham. It seemed appropriate for Batman to help him get a new superhero outfit.

Either way, as they entered the cave, Danny was greeted with the sight of his new teammates. Batman had told him about them, at least he told Danny their hero names, species and powers. The green one was a Martian named M'gann, or Megan. The colorful one was Robin (secret identity- unknown). The moody-looking boy was Superboy AKA Connor. The moody-looking girl was Artemis. The one in red was Kid Flash AKA Wally (Last name- unknown). The Atlantean was Kaldur. They looked friendly enough, but they still looked hesitant and slightly angry (except for Megan). Megan stepped forward and was the first to greet him,

"Hi! You must be our new teammate! I'm M'gann, but please call me Megan!"

"I'm Danny, but my alias is Spirit," Danny greeted, "It's nice to meet you all…"

Danny held out his hand which Megan eagerly shook. The team was a bit more cautious, but most figured they should give him the benefit of doubt. After all, he did nothing wrong. Artemis stood at attention, ready to say something or attack if needed. She had just joined the team not that long ago and it took them forever to get used to her. Robin was hesitant, but mostly curious as he observed the new teammate. _So this is who Batman was thinking about? Not bad, I guess… _KF was the one who seemed not to care, but he did glare at Danny briefly, causing Danny to back away slightly. Connor sensed something wrong about Danny, but his lack of a heartbeat may have something do to do with his powers so he couldn't be sure if something was actually wrong. Black Canary, who stood off in the corner, quirked an eyebrow. _Batman didn't mention anything about a new member. _

The team observed their new 'teammate.' He was about their age- sixteen (Robin being the exception as he was the youngest). He didn't wear spandex like most of them. Instead, he seemed to be more like Superboy wearing comfortable black jeans and a tight-fighting t-shirt that was split diagonally between white and black. He had a white vest and even combat boots to match. He had unnaturally white hair and his eyes were a mix of green and red, the two colors looked like they were swirling for dominance. He blinked and his eyes changed to just pure green- _glowing_ neon green that was. The boy himself seemed to have a slight white glow around him.

Danny shifted his weight awkwardly at the silence that followed. He desperately wished for someone to say something so he didn't have to try to start a conversation himself. He had terrible conversation starters- his best one was asking about the weather, his worst was asking about food.

"So Danny, what is your power," Robin asked.

Batman subtly turned his attention to Danny, curious himself about everything the boy could do. Danny brightened up since she was being friendly. He smiled,

"I have a few, actually. I'm a… _human with powers_, so I'm not an alien if you're wondering. I have flight, invisibility, intangibility… I can do a lot of things with this… _energy source_ I can create like blasts and shields. I can do ice too. Like ice blasts, freezing, etc."

He failed to mention the ghostly wail and a few of the other things he could do using ectoplasm for a reason. The ghostly wail was what he used to destroy Amity Park and brining it up would bring up bad memories. He didn't want to break down in front of his new team, merely five hours after he was declared sane and left the asylum.

"So…where will I be staying?"

* * *

><p>Danny let out a low whistle as Kaldur finished giving him a tour. The cave was <em>huge. <em>That was understandable considering it took up the entire inside of the mountain. Still, it was pretty amazing to Danny. He saw the training room, the living quarters (which he learned that Superboy and Megan are the ones who live at Mt. Justice too and Kaldur only lives there when he's not in the sea), kitchen, the extra rooms, the garage, and the landing dock that had the bio-ship. His favorite part was his own living quarters, which he was informed he could personalize. At the moment, it didn't have much, but it brought Danny a sense of normality that he hasn't had in a while. Plus there was an amazing view from his window. It had been a long time since he's seen the ocean like that.

Megan greeted Danny warmly as she put some cookies on the counter. Danny's eyes lit up. He may not _need _to eat, but it had been a long time since he had _real_ food. He eagerly ate all of the cookies.

"Someone actually likes her cooking," Artemis raised an eyebrow.

Danny gave a thumbs up, his mouth still full,

"-otally!"

Megan cheered,

"That's great! I'll go make some more!"

"Do you need any help," Danny asked, "I know how to cook."

Megan looked thrilled to have someone to share recipes with. The others seemed a bit skeptical, causing Danny to give a sheepish smile,

"Let's just say Mom wasn't the best cook… I learned cooking from my older sister."

"You have a sister," Connor asked.

Artemis looked up at him curiously.

"_Did_ have a sister," Danny corrected, looking towards the ground, "She and my parents… They died a while back ago…"

Danny shifted his weight awkwardly as he looked at the ground. Megan sensed the sorrow coming from him- everyone could. It caused a bit of awkward tension until Megan hugged Danny tightly, taking him off guard,

"Well now you have a new family!"


	10. Denial

**Chapter 9- Denial:**

**Third Person:**

Danny was still a bit tense around the team. Megan was too _cheerful_ that it caused him to lock up a bit- it was just a bit too friendly for his tastes and Superboy's glare usually was a sign for him to back off. After the comment about finding a new family, he was a bit more hesitant about the team than he was before. Though a part of him was glad that Megan welcomed him so warmly. Still, he wasn't used to so much social interaction yet and made a habit of locking himself up in his room- something that Robin and Kaldur usually got onto him about.

However, he found that combat training helped him loosen up. If only because it helped him squish the urge to kill. He had to be careful. So there he was sparring against Superboy. Superboy was the one Danny related the most too- though Danny was working on his temper and patience. The two weren't that close, but they tolerated each other.

Danny found he actually liked all of his new teammates- especially now he had gotten to know them. Artemis was the most hesitant, but even she even warmed up to him after their little 'aiming competition' with her arrows and him with his ectoblasts. Robin was like an annoying little brother, smart but annoying. Him, Wally and Danny bonded once they found out they all played DOOM and other video games. Megan and him bonded over recipes.

Danny hated to admit it, but Kaldur was quickly becoming one of his favorite teammates. He seemed to be a good leader even if Danny hadn't seen him in action yet… Though he had seen his fighting skills in combat training just as he had seen Superboy's.

_"Combat training initiating in three…two…one."_

Danny began to spar with Superboy as soon the okay was given. Unlike Superboy and Kaldur, Danny preferred to fight with his shirt _on_ to hide the scars. The two were quickly engrossed in a sparring, Danny taking it easy and dodging more often than hitting. Both were unaware of Artemis and Megan's conversation nearby.

"So Danny's uh nice, don't think," Artemis teased, "Handsome. Mysterious. You should totally ask him out."

"He's like a brother to me, but you know who would make the cutest couple? You and Wally?"

Megan looked over to Wally,

"You're so full of passion and he's so full of…"

"-_It,"_ Artemis continued.

The two laughed just as Danny and Superboy finished their spar. Danny landed on the ground with a thud.

_"Fail- Spirit."_

Superboy wiped his hands off with a small smirk, Danny laughing,

"Good shot!"

"Black Canary taught me that… The spar would have lasted longer if you went offense and not defense," Superboy pointed out.

Danny shrugged as he got up,

"Maybe, maybe not."

Red Tornado emerged from the opening, causing all of them to rush over slightly eager to see if it was a new mission.

"You got a mission for us," Wally asked eagerly.

"Mission assignments are Batman's responsibility."

"Well the Batman is with the Robin doing the Dynamic Duo thing in Gotham, but you're headed somewhere _right?_ Hot date or a _mission?"_

Danny face palmed at Wally's stupidity, causing both Megan and Artemis to laugh.

"If we can be of help," Kaldur chimed in.

Red Tornado seemed to accept the offer as he turned around, bringing up a screen of an older man with a staff. Danny's brows furrowed in confusion, wondering who it may be.

"This is Kent Nelson, a friend," Red Tornado explained, "He is one-hundred-and-six years old."

"Guy doesn't look a day over ninety," Danny whispered to Artemis, "Must be taking some of those special vitamins."

"-And he has been missing for twenty-three days. Kent was a charter member of the Justice Society, a precursor to your Justice League."

The image changed Kent Nelson into Dr. Fate, causing Danny's eyes to widened. _Dr. Fate… Woah…_ He knew about Dr. Fate. Clockwork had told him about the Doctor, mostly good things, though according to Clockwork Dr. Fate reminded him a bit too much of the Observants to be considered a _good friend_. Though he mentioned he was once good allies with the original Dr. Fate.

"Nabu," Danny whispered, causing Superboy and Red Tornado to look at him briefly.

"Kent Nelson was Earth's sorcerer supreme," Kaldur realized, "He was Dr. Fate."

"More like Dr. Fate," Wally scoffed, "Guy knows a little advanced science and Dumbeldor's it up to scare the bad guys and impress the babes."

Danny rolled his eyes, _makes me wonder what his reaction will be if he finds out I'm a ghost,_

"For a self-proclaimed scientist, you sure are close-minded."

"What do you mean by that," Wally said, offended.

"A good scientist should be open minded to multiple theories," Danny said, quoting his mother.

Wally, more than offended and a bit defensive, maturely stuck his tongue out in reply, causing the two to soon enter a battle of funny faces that only ended when Kaldur glared at them.

"Kent may simply be on one of his _walk-abouts,"_ Red Tornado continued, ignoring the two, "But he is caretaker to the helmet of Fate, the source of the Doctor's might and it is unwise to leave such power unguarded."

"He's like the great sorcerers and priestesses of Mars," Megan said, awed, "I would be honored to help find him."

Wally's head whipped in her direction,

"Me too! So honored I could barely stand it! Magic rocks!"

Danny felt his eye twitch in annoyance. Artemis put her hand on his shoulder,

"I know," she synthesized, "But he's just Wally."

"There's no excuse for being so…_two-faced,"_ Danny growled, his patience thinning for the speedster.

"Use this, it's the key to the Tower of Fate," Red Tornado said, handing Kaldur a key.

"What are the chances we'd both so admire the mystic arts," Wall flirted with Megan.

She gave him a sideways glance, but no reply.

* * *

><p>Danny was still seething by the time they reached the coordinates that were given to them by Red Tornado. Artemis and he tried to get Wally to slip up somehow, to clue Megan in on the fact that Wally was lying to her. He was getting so fed up with the speedster. He didn't like liars. Finally, Danny just nudged Wally roughly with his elbow,<p>

"Dude, tell her the truth before I tell her for you," he whispered harshly as they landed.

"Just let me have this one," Wally begged, "I swear I'm not doing anything wrong!"

"Lying is wrong," Danny pointed out, "But if you're so determined. Go ahead, but remember that I will not help you when Megan finds out the truth and goes all pissed-Martian on your butt."

Wally didn't seem that concerned as he stared adoringly at Megan, causing Danny to huff.

"There's nothing here," Kaldur announced, confused.

Danny turned to him confused,

"What do you mean? It's right there."

His teammates turned to him, all of them confused. In the background, unknowingly to them, Klarion turned to Kent Nelson,

"Interesting that the little ghost can see your tower…"

"The tower limits itself to be seen by those pure of heart, enough purity in their soul and good intentions…Something you obviously don't have."

He smirked, but the comment caused Klarion to kick him. Kaldur turned to Danny,

"Danny, can you…see it?"

"'Course I can, the real question is, why can't you?"

Danny pointed to the tower in question. He furrowed his brows. _Maybe it's a ghost thing or some sort of mystic thing… _He took the key from Kaldur and used it to open the door, causing the tower to become visible to them. Danny opened the door and they all walked in, slightly awed. The door shut behind them, causing Superboy to wonder,

"Where'd the door go?"

"Probably some mystic thing," Danny shrugged, "Could be in Purgatory or Limbo for all I know."

A mystical-like hologram of Kent Nelson appeared before them. Danny furrowed his brows as he examined the figure, _my ghost sense didn't go off? So it's a hologram? _

"Greetings," it announced, "You have entered with the key, but the Tower does not recognize you. Please state your purpose and intent."

Wally stepped forward, to Danny's annoyance,

"We are true believes," Wally said dramatically, "Here to find Dr. Fate."

The image disappeared with a forlorn expression as the floor crumbled beneath them. They all fell, heading towards the lava. Megan swooped up to catch Wally as Danny grabbed Artemis and Kaldur, tossing the former over his shoulder easily. Superboy used his nails to slow and stop his fall, but his feet got dipped into the lava, causing him to carry out as his shoes melted off.

"Those were my favorite boots," Superboy said to himself, angered and annoyed, "This Nelson guy better be worth it."

"Wally," Danny growled, "I'm so going to send you into the afterlife!"

"We have no time to argue," Kaldur announced, "We have to get out of this hole."

Danny created a dome around Kaldur and Artemis to float them down with him as he went to get Superboy.

"Having trouble maintaining altitude," Megan gasped, "So hot…"

"You certainly are," Wally said.

"Wally," Danny and Artemis snapped.

"What?! We're about to sizzle to death and I'm entitled to speak my mind!"

"My physiology and M'gann's are sustainable to extreme heat. We have to get her out quickly."

"Hello Megan," Megan announced, "We never truly answered the question!"

Danny nearly face-palmed. _Why didn't I put that together? Especially after so many years with Clockwork. _

"Red Tornado sent us to see if Mr. Nelson and the helmet were safe," Megan announced as loudly as she could.

Just like that, the lava was replaced with a real floor again. Danny brought Kaldur and Artemis down. Superboy landed with a loud THUD. Wally and Megan collapsed.

"The platform, it should be hot, but it is cool to the touch," Kaldur pointed out as he touched the ground.

"Don't worry Megalicious, I got you," Wally said as he put an arm around Megan.

At that, Danny's last chord snapped in half. He growled and he felt his eyes turn red as he slammed his palm into Wally, sending him back with an OOMPH,

"That is enough! You nearly got everyone killed! What kind of hero are you to do something so stupid, so selfish!?"

Artemis nodded in agreement in the background, but Wally wasn't as convinced.

"When did this become my fault?"

"When you lied to whatever that was and called yourself a true believer," Artemis pitched in.

Danny growled again and was about to hit him, but Superboy grabbed his arms and held him back. Kaldur looked between his teammates with a sigh. Megan looked to Wally, a bit hurt and confused,

"Wally? You don't believe?"

"Fine! I lied about believing in magic! Magic is the real lie, a major low!"

Kaldur continued to examine the ground,

"Wally I studied for a year at the Conservatory of Sorcery in Atlantis. The mystics created my water-bearers."

"Dude ever hear of bio-electricity? In primitive cultures, fire was considered magical too! Today it's all just a bunch of tricks!"

Danny shrugged off Superboy, who let him go when he noticed Danny's eyes were back to being green. He didn't understand the changing of the colors, but he knew that red eyes were never a good sign. Danny walked up to Wally and gave him a swift punch to the jaw, his eyes downcast,

"You nearly got everyone killed. A good scientist admits when they are wrong. When they don't admit it, they _shut up about it so they can continue to work with their team. _Because they know that working as a team and getting the job done is more important than their yourself a favor _and shut up."_

Wally glared heavily,

"You're new on the team, what do you know about teamwork? This is _your first mission with us." _

"That doesn't mean it's not the first team I wasn't on," Danny hissed.

A silent tension was created as the two glared at each other. Megan sighed deeply and shared a look with Superboy and Artemis. Artemis grabbed Wally and gently pulled him back as Superboy did the same with Danny.

"You two need to calm down," Kaldur snapped at them, "Look."

He opened the door on the ground, ignoring the protests about the backlash of the lava. Snow filled the air around the room, causing Megan to giggle,

"It's snow!"

The team headed through the door and into the artic-like terrain. As soon as they were all through, the door disappeared.

"Well," Artemis said smugly to Wally.

"Ever hear of string-theory? We're in a pocket dimension."

"Dude," Danny shook his head, "I've been to different pocket-dimensions and different dimensions as a whole, I'm telling you it's nothing like this."

Artemis let out a frustrated grunt as Megan headed towards what looked like a floating staff,

"What's that?"

"Maybe it's Nelson's magic wand," Wally rolled his eyes as he zipped over and grabbed it.

Artemis, Danny, and Wally both ended up grabbed the staff at the same time,

"Got it! I can't let go," they announced.

The staff whisked them away into the air, disappearing.

* * *

><p>Danny blinked in confusion as he found himself in another area. What looked like staircases were everywhere, leading in every which way. He spotted Kent Nelson on the ground a bit away with who looked like a fake magician and a witch (if the horned hair was anything to go by). The cat looked Danny in the eyes and meowed, causing a shiver to go down his spine.<p>

"Well would you look at that," Kent said as a golden glow surrounded him, bringing him towards the three, or rather to his staff.

He grabbed the staff and quickly created a doorway,

"In here!"

"No, no, no," Klarion said as he zapped the door as it closed.

The teammates found themselves in what looked like an elevator, completed with the music to fit it. Kent Nelson was silent, but he smiled,

"I'm Kent Nelson by the way."

"No duh," Wally muttered, earning him a jab in the ribs by both Artemis and Danny.

"I'm Artemis, Mister Manners is Wally and that's Danny."

Danny gave a small bow with a large grin. Kent eyed Danny with a smirk, but turned to Artemis.

"Well Artemis," Kent said, "We're up against an opponent with tremendous mystic power."

"Abra Kadabra," Wally scoffed, "Flash proved he used futuristic technology to simulate magic. Guy's all show and no bizz."

Danny felt his eye twitched. It was obvious Kent was talking about the boy who had that creepy cat. Both of them gave off a bad vibe.

"Right you are," Kent agreed.

"He is?"

"Abra is a fake, but Klarion the Witch Boy, the kid with the cat is an actual Lord of Chaos, an ultimate enemy to a Lord of Order like Dr. Fate."

"Right," Wally said sarcastically, "You're a Lord of Order."

Danny jabbed Wally in the ribs,

"Dude, he's talking about the spirit in the helmet, Nabu."

"Right you are," Kent said cheerfully, "Though I'm curious how you know about Nabu? Not many people do."

Danny winced as his friends turned to him curiously.

"I have an old friend who was allies with Nabu once. He kind of explained the whole thing to me," Danny said sheepishly.

"Must be a pretty _old_ friend if he knew Nabu," Kent laughed, "Any who, Klarion's after the helmet, if he gets his sticky mitts on it, he'll turn the planet into his own personal playground of pandemonium."

The elevator dinged and they all stepped off the elevator and into what looked like some sort of bell tower. Their teammates came out through a hole in the ceiling, Superboy landing with a thud. Artemis and Danny ran off to go check up on them as Wally stuck with Nelson.

"Friends of yours?"

A few zaps shot at them, causing Wally to knock Nelson out of the way,

"Friends of _yours,_" Wally repeated.

Nelson dragged Wally into the bell tower, Klarion falling close behind, leaving the team to deal with Abra.

* * *

><p>Danny was smiling from ear-to-ear as he laughed at Abra, who was stripped to his underwear so he couldn't use any of his toys. He nearly on the ground, clutching his sides,<p>

"Oh man, I haven't laughed this hard in _months_. I don't even care _how_ he ended up that way, I'm just disappointed I didn't think of it first!"

The team gave him confused looks, but didn't comment as Wally emerged with them again. He was holding the helmet of Fate in his hands, a soft smile on his face. Danny stopped laughing and Wally gave him an apologetic look,

"I'm sorry I was kind of a jerk."

"I'm sorry I nearly punched your lights out," Danny quipped with a smile.


	11. Downtime

**Author Note: Not every chapter will be an episode just as I won't be doing every episode. Danny's still getting used to the team and yes, he still gets those aggressive urges (just that they are happening less and less and not as aggressive each time). The 'mission' that involved Kent and Dr. Fate was Danny's first mission. He was frustrated, impulsive, because he's still figuring out they all work together as a team. Hope that helps explain a few things and remember this chapter will be the first time that Danny has seen a couple being intimate so it's bound bring a few memories.  
>~CWA<strong>

**Chapter 10- Downtime:**

**Danny:**

Clayface successfully managed to knock out all of my teammates. Was it my fault? Probably.

I clenched my fists and growled. My medications only did so much, but when someone hurt my team, it was harder to keep my control, my _focus._ I could feel my eyes going back and forth between green and red. I turned away from the bodies of my friends, their unconscious forms reminded me of the all bodies I had killed and of the bodies of my family. _He's going to pay._ Before I could unleash an attack, Batman came from the ceiling, smashing through the skylight and into Clayface. With a simple gadget, he managed to take down Clayface, causing me to growl.

He gave me a look,

"_Stand down,"_ he said firmly.

I closed my eyes and envisioned a small candle, it's flame flickering. I focused until the flame was steady. It was a meditation technique that Kaldur taught me. I opened my eyes and I didn't see red anymore. I was calm.

Batman took all of us back to the Mountain as soon as everyone had waken up. He didn't seem that happy,

"I need to talk to Aqualad. Everyone else hit the showers and head home."

"Head home, I am home," Superboy muttered, causing me to give him a pat on the back in sympathy.

* * *

><p>The next day was quiet as in <em>too <em>quiet. Kaldur was off in Atlantis doing who-knew-what. Robin was with Batman. Artemis was who-knew-where. With only Megan, Red Tornado, Connor and I at the mountain things were pretty dull. Usually I would lock myself in my room, working on blueprints, but today I felt that maybe I should… socialize with my new 'family.' No one would ever replace my family or Sam, but just because I found a new family didn't mean that I was going to forget about my original family (and Sam). I was in the kitchen working on cookies with Megan while Superboy was watching static on the TV.

"Do you want one of us to turn it on," I offered.

"No."

I shrugged and went back to cooking, laughing as some of it got on Megan's face. Our laughter made Superboy turn his attention to us. His eyes seemed to narrow at me, causing me to raise my hands in defense. I wasn't sure what was going on. Maybe he felt left out?

"Want to help us with diner," I offered.

Superboy said no, but he apparently meant yes as he walked over. Megan listed off the ingredients and used her telekinesis to hand them to Superboy. I stifled a laugh as the pile got higher and higher, Megan was oblivious to Superboy's poor problem. Finally, it was too much, all the ingredients spilled all over him. She stumbled an apology as she tried to clean him up.

"Too much at once," she repeated to herself, "Hello Megan! That's so me, I… uuhhh…"

_Intimate moment,_ I thought amused as the two seemed to stare into each other's eyes. Megan's hand was right on his face and the two were pretty close together. I smiled slightly, letting them two have their moment. I backed away slowly, some part of it reminded me of Sam and I._ I knew I should have taken my meds... Sam… _ I bit my lip and looked down. I couldn't cry. Not here. Not now. _Sam… wherever you are, I hope you're okay… Wait for me…_ I felt my core clench tightly as I remembered her. Her face. Her beautiful, _beautiful_ face. Her wonderful eyes. Her attitude. Her… _everything…_ _Sam…_

I choked back on a sob and turned invisible and intangible, sinking through the floor until I reached the garage. I hit the ground and couldn't hold it in anymore. _Sam…. Sam she's gone… She's gone… _I continued to sob loudly, ignoring the fact that Red Tornado was heading my way. When he walked in, he was quiet as I stood up and faced him, my face tear-stained.

"Are you-"

"-I'm fine," I snapped, heading back upstairs, hearing his comment about how human customs still confused him.

I wasn't sure what happened while I was gone, but when I got back, Megan and Superboy were apart. Superboy was sitting awkwardly on the couch and Megan was back to cooking silently with herself.

"I'm back," I announced weakly, "Do you need any help?"

Megan seemed to jump at my presence, but she recovered quickly as she took a good look at my face. I fidgeted slightly as she narrowed her eyes,

"Danny, are you okay? Have you been crying?"

"So what if I have," I huffed and backed a bit away.

Megan didn't seem to get the _'back-off'_ message as she hugged me tightly. Superboy looked over and glared at me before he saw the tears too. I couldn't help it. I started crying again. I haven't cried so much since… since… I sobbed loudly and grabbed onto Megan, crying into her shoulder. I didn't care about crying in front of them anymore. I just needed to let it out.

"What happened," Connor asked, a bit of concern laying his voice as he walked over.

"I don't know," Megan replied.

I could barely even reply to them, my words were slurred,

"She's gone," I wailed, "I… Sam… I loved her and she's gone…."

Megan and Connor shared a look. I was shaking in Megan's arms before I was finally able to get a grip on myself. I pushed away from her, still a bit teary,

"I… I'm sorry…I just… I haven't…."

"Danny, who was Sam," Megan asked gently.

"She was my… girlfriend," I answered whispered, "I… She was one person I could ever see a future with, especially with me being… _different…_ I loved her…"

"Did she break up with you," Connor asked with a raised eyebrow.

Megan elbowed him slightly with a minor glare.

"No she died a few months ago," I gritted my teeth, "If you don't mind I'll be in my room now."

I flew up to my room quickly, a bit angered and embarrassed.


	12. Probabilities

**Author Note: Thanks for all the favorites, follows and reviews!  
>~CWA<strong>

**Chapter 11- Probabilities:**

**Danny:**

After that incident in Bialya, I locked myself up in the room. Everyone had forgotten their memories of the past six months in Bialya thanks to Simon, which wasn't _too_ bad. Sure Superboy was pretty much a blank slate, but I would take that over forgetting that _you're dead._ I hit my fist against the table with my eyes clenched tightly. At first, I thought it was just another sick experiment by the Guys in White. M'gann was the first person I ran into and she was kind enough to help me piece together some things, but it was awful. Everything had hit me at once. The memories of the experiments during those six months. Remembering my own death. It was a lot to take in- so much that I was barely any help on the mission because I kept zoning out or nearly killing some of the soldiers. The bright side was remembering everything that happened with the Team- aside from them, there was no good memories that M'gann restored.

I looked around my new room. It was personalized now that I've been with the Team for a while. On the table there were a few letters- one was handwritten neatly with cursive while the other was made from cut out letters and words from various magazines that were glued together on the paper to form sentences. I picked them each up with a small smile. Harley, Ivy and I stayed in touch even after I left Arkham. Batman let them write letters, which they put in the prison mail (which was read and tested by guards), unknowingly to them, Batman would pick up the letters himself, check them off (reading them, testing them for various things including laughing gas, poison, and even checking for hidden messages), and when he deemed them safe (which was usually after removing the explosive chatter teeth Harley somehow managed to hide in the envelope), he gave them to me. The Team didn't know and I was sure the League didn't either. I had wrote back to them of course. I told them I was doing fine, I was legally sane, and I had moved across the country to get some peace. I never told them my location and they didn't ask- well Harley did but I made it clear that I was 'nomadic' and going from state to state made it impossible for her to visit.

I had designed some blueprints that were sprawled across the table and pinned to the wall. I even had some blueprints made from memory to create a portal and a new Fenton thermos. If I had enough courage to explain to Batman what I was, then maybe I could show him the designs. I couldn't do that though. If I told him, if he knew I was a ghost, then what if he regretted saving me? What if he turned me back over to Arkham? Or worse to the Guys in White?

I clenched my fists tightly. _I can't go back there. _In a time like this, when I wasn't sure what to do, there was one thing I was sure of. Clockwork would know. I hadn't seen him in a while. I smirked to myself and focused my energy into my hand, focusing on making a portal. It took a few tries, but eventually a slightly unstable portal to the Ghost Zone opened. Giddy, I eagerly headed through the portal, which closed as soon as I went through. Thankfully, it landed me in a part of the Zone I knew. _Which means Clockwork's lair should be right about…There! _I could spot the familiar clock tower in the distance. I headed over, for once I was really happy about seeing the old stop watch. He was the one person I trusted most. I mean, I liked my friends and all, my _team_, but did I trust them entirely? Not really.

Clockwork was waiting for me inside which was to be expected. When he gave no sign of acknowledgement, a part of me felt disappointed and then… I got angry. He ignored me for all that time I was getting experimented on. He ignored me enough to deem it not important to intervene when my family was killed. _He will not ignore me now when I am right here._ I slammed my fist against the wall of the tower,

"Hey!"

"Hello Daniel," Clockwork greeted, "I see your temper has gotten shorter."

"Well that's what happens when you _get killed._"

I scowled and Clockwork shook his head slightly,

"I do not expect you to understand,_ Danny_, but all of it was necessary."

"My family getting killed? Me killing everyone in the town, _barely managing to not become Dan and still fighting not to become him_? The Guys in White experimenting on me? _Killing_ me? _It was necessary for what?!_"

My eyes were turning red again, I could feel it. Lately, I hadn't been getting as angry as quick. I had M'gann's meditation techniques to thank along with the medications (but I rarely took the meds anymore because they have been starting to make me emotionally numb). I had yet to have an actual _'episode'_ in front of the team. I mean, I got on the brink of it, but it wasn't _'I'm going to kill you' _bad. Right now, however, I was beyond _pissed._ I had come here for answers and I deserved to know them!

"Necessary for you to _live_, Danny," Clockwork snapped harshly, causing me to back away in surprise, "You are a ghost, but you are still here, you still have a chance to _right your wrongs._ Would you like to know what happened in the other timelines?"

My eyes were back to normal and I took a hesitant step towards Clockwork's screen that he was pointing at. He never really snapped at me before. What did he mean to right my wrongs? Did that mean I really had a chance to fix it? The screen showed me, except I resembled Dan without the blue skin. I was killing _thousands, millions._ I was fighting the Justice League, the Team, every hero… I took them down. I killed them.

"In one timeline after the Guys in White had killed you, you scheduled a breakout yourself and killed all of the agents before moving onto the world, killing for fun and killing anyone who got into your way."

The screen changed. On the screen, I still looked like me, except my red eyes had no hints of green. I was wearing an odd black and red costume and Harley and Ivy were at my sides.

"In one timeline, Bayou never gave you the amulet. You were adopted by Pamela Lillian Isley, or Poison Ivy as you knew her. You lasted only a few months in Arkham before you decided to use your powers. You destroyed it, killed the guards and freed everyone. With Arkham gone, the villains were shipped all over, creating mayhem all over the country. You joined the villains of Gotham as _Casper…_"

"….I didn't pick that name, did I," I asked weakly, trying to make a joke.

Clockwork looked at me slightly amused, seemingly calmed down,

"I believe it was Miss Quinn's, or rather Harley's, idea…. The point is, Daniel, in nearly all the timelines you became a villain, a king, or a _pariah._ In one you even created an army of ghosts to take over, making humans your slaves. The timeline where your parents didn't die, and the one where you didn't die, didn't end well either- both ended with you committing suicide, robbing the world of possibly the greatest hero. This is the only timeline where you are _good. _You have a _chance_ to become that great hero because you understand the hardships and with support of your new team and future new mentor, you will do _great_. Do you understand me, Danny?"

I blinked in confusion a bit, his words sinking in… All that happened, happened because it was supposed to forge me into a great hero. _Clockwork said I'm a great hero. He actually said that and he called me Danny…_

"Yeah, stopwatch, I get it… I hope I make you proud."

"If you continue on the path of righteous, you will."

* * *

><p>When I got back to the cave, everyone was doing their own thing. Megan and Connor were cooking in the kitchen. Artemis was sharpening her bows. I didn't see Wally anywhere, but Robin was talking to Batman in a hushed tone. He stopped when he noticed me watching. My interest piqued and I headed over towards them.<p>

"What's up," I asked casually.

Robin looked at me like a kid in the candy store. He was jumping up and down. He turned to his mentor,

"Can we tell him?"

Batman gave a small nod and Robin cheered.

"Dude," Robin announced, "Bats said you're cleared for school! You've been too anti-social recently and even Megan and Connor go to school so you're stuck here alone with Red Tornado half the day on weekdays which cannot be fun. I talked Bats into agreeing, but you would be going to Gotham Academy where Batman and I can keep an eye on you."

School. Batman actually deemed me sane enough to go into the possibly most-annoying, provoking environment there is in the world. It was a big step. Batman was deeming me safe enough to actually hang out with _normal people…_ It had been a long time since I had been to school…

"I'm not anti-social," I huffed, "I'm anti-stupid, which is what schools are _full_ of… But if it'll get me out of the mountain, I'm in. So I take it you're a student at Gotham Academy?'

"Maybe," Robin said mysteriously, "Maybe not."

"Ah right, your secret identity… Speaking of, how exactly am I going to be going into school if I have pure white hair?"

"Easily fixable with this high-grade wig," Robin said, pulling a wig out of seemingly no-where.

The wig in question was bright vivid pink long hairstyle. Robin was laughing his pants off, causing Artemis to look over, but she just brushed it off. I felt my eye twitch,

"No."


	13. Bets and Babes

**Author Note: With all the angsty, sad stuff I write, I figure everyone could use a laugh.**

**~CWA**

**Chapter 12- Bets and Babes:**

**Danny:**

My first day of eleventh grade at Gotham Academy as Danny Maynard was something I was actually kind of excited for. I was going to interact with real people again. I was _safe enough_ to do so. It was kind of blowing up my psyche with joy. Robin actually did get me some high-end temporary hair dye for school because a wig may come off and rise suspicion. I couldn't tell what color it was because Robin had taken the label off. He said that he wanted it to be a surprise and that Batman had picked out the dye as well as the contacts. It would be a hassle to dye it everyday, as well as put in the contacts (to hide the glowing eyes and they seemed to be a different color, but I couldn't tell), but it would be worth it.

"Lookin' good," Megan praised as she gave me a thumbs up, causing me to rub the back of my neck sheepishly,

"Really? It was kind of hard to do without a mirror."

I laughed sheepishly. Megan gave a horrified expression as she zoomed off. When she came back, she was holding a mirror up using her telekinesis. I kind of backed away nervously, a bit afraid of what I turned out like. Batman was standing off in the distance, watching. Connor was looking over curiously and even Wally and Artemis (who were stopping by before school) looked at me.

I looked in the mirror, wincing, expecting the worse, but what I saw surprised me. The clothes fit me really well. The jeans were just the right size and the red t-shirt showed off a bit of my muscle. What shocked me, however, was my face. The dye turned my hair pitch black and the contacts _did _have some color- specially bright blue. I looked… I looked like I did before… I put a hand up to my face and examined myself closely. _I… I look like Danny Fenton_…

"Earth to Danny," Artemis said jokingly, "Don't turn all narcissist on us now."

I turned around sheepishly. I swear I saw Batman smirk as we headed towards the Zeta tubes to get to Gotham.

I looked like I was alive again… Now all I had to do was act like it.

* * *

><p>I forgot how much I hated high school. The school was huge, loud, and I had to introduce myself to three different classes so far, giving the same <em>'please call me Danny. I'm from Illinois. I moved here for the shits and giggles'<em> speech over and over again…. _Okay so I didn't exactly say that I moved here for the shits and giggles but I might as well have._

At least lunch offered a small break and the food seemed to be a lot better than it was at Casper High. I plopped down at an empty table and stretched slightly. _Man class chairs are stiff. _I started to slowly devour my food, not because I needed it, but I had an appearance I needed to keep up. As soon as I took the first bite of my burger, some lower grade kid comes up behind me, gives me bunny-ears with a cheeky grin, and took a selfie (or was it 'groupie' because I was in it too?) with his cell phone.

"Twenty bucks for every number you can get and an extra ten if it's done using cheesy pick-up lines. I'll be watching. You have until the end of school."

With that, he managed to zip off without so much as an explanation, leaving me watching with a confused expression. _Who was that? What was with the bet? _I crinkled my nose, but then I smiled. A bet was a bet and I was broke. It was a good chance to earn some money and he obviously had the money to spare (not that I really needed money but it would be helpful to have in case). _I never thought I would be thankful for all the cheesy pick-up lines that Tucker has used over the years…_ I cracked my knuckles and observed the cafeteria. There were a lot of pretty girls and there were even more outside in the courtyard. I examined each one- _taken, taken, taken…_ Finally, I spotted a girl in the back that was reading a book. She was all by herself and seemed to give off the _'don't mess with me vibe.'_ _Target acquired. _

I calmly walked up to her and knocked gently on the table getting her attention. Her eyes shot up and looked at me surprised before she looked down with a blush. She set down her book,

"Can I help you," she asked quietly.

"Yes, you owe me a drink," I said as I sat down across from her.

"Why," she asked confused.

"Because when I saw you, I dropped mine…"

I gave a goofy grin and when she didn't smile, laugh, or blush, I deflated.

"That was a pretty bad one, wasn't it," I asked sheepishly as I started to get up, "I'm sorry… I'm kind of new here… I'll go now."

I started to go back, but she called out to me,

"Wait! You're the new kid, right? Give me a call sometime, I'll show you around."

She scribbled down something and handed the paper to me before hurrying off. I looked down. _I think I just earned thirty bucks. _I smiled goofily and headed off to my next target. As I was headed towards the next girl, one girl pushed into me. I stumbled to help her pick up her things as she blushed,

"I'm so sorry…. My friends- they kind of…. Pushed me…"

She looked back to a group of girls that were giggling to themselves. I smiled and handed her the psychology book,

"Not a problem, psychology, huh? Interesting choice. I had an older sister that wanted to be a psychologist… So why did your friends push you?"

"So I had a reason to give you this," she shoved a piece of paper into my hands before winking at me and running off to join her friends.

It was a piece of paper with a phone number and _'call me'_ written on it with a smiley face. _This might be easier than I thought it would be._

* * *

><p>"Are you from France, cause ma-<em>damn,"<em> I winked.

She threw a drink into my face, causing me to sputter.

"I deserved that, that was pretty bad."

* * *

><p>I silently praised Gotham Academy for having fancy rose vases in their halls. I grabbed a rose from one of the vases and headed off to find my next target. I smiled as I spotted someone. I bowed my head slightly as I kissed her hand,<p>

"Excuse me, for being forward, but I just wanted to tell my friends that I got to kiss the hand of an angel."

I raised my head and gave her the rose. She giggled cutely and it wasn't long before I had a number written on my hand.

* * *

><p>Thanks to the photography club, I was able to get a camera to hang around my neck. Of course, I had strict orders not to break it and I had about five minutes left to get one last phone number using a cheesy pick-up line. During the school day, I was working my butt off to earn as much as I could. I got at least ten girls' numbers, at least half of them were by using cheesy pick-up lines. I also got four numbers from guys, two earned with cheesy-pick up lines. I was so winning at this. <em>Sorry Sam, it's for a good cause… My wallet… <em> Granted, I was pretty sure that in the after-life, up in Heaven, Sam was using what power she could to give me bad luck- the drinks that were thrown in my face, the awkward running away from boyfriends or girlfriends that were nearby, the one that slapped me…

I had exactly two minutes to spare when I spotted my final target. I quickly ran up to her, her friends parted a bit allowing me to speak to her,

"Excuse me, miss?"

"Yes?"

"May I take your picture?"

"Sure?"

I got down on my knees and took a picture. She smiled awkwardly and I smiled at her as I took the picture.

"Thanks," I said, "I really appreciate it. I wanted proof to show my friend that angels exist."

She blushed and her friends giggled. She shyly tucker a piece of her hair behind her ear before muttering to herself. Finally, she reached into her bag and pulled out a pen. She scribbled down her number on my arm and walked away with her friends. As she walked away, the strange boy from lunch came up to me as he stopped a stopwatch.

"Time's up. Seems you did pretty good from the ones I saw… How many numbers?"

I reached into my pockets and handed him all the numbers. I also showed him my hands, my arm, and the one that was written on the lower part of my back.

"He didn't have any paper and I was out of skin that wasn't visible and stomachs are hard to write on," I explained as I put my shirt back down, "That's fourteen numbers, seven of them were with cheesy pick up lines… That's a lot of money."

"Not for me, it's not," the boy said with a shrug.

He pulled out his wallet and handed me the money,

"Pleasure doing business with you!"

I grabbed his collar, stopping him from zipping off again,

"Hang on, you never gave me your name."

"It's Dick. Dick Grayson. See ya!"


	14. Sandy

**Author Note: Still a few more laughs, mostly because the next chapter will be an actual episode from Young Justice (which are harder to write).  
>~CWA<strong>

**Chapter 13- Sandy:**

**Danny:  
><strong>Being stuck in my room for almost a few weeks was not fun- at all. I was injured on a mission and despite my healing powers, I was still pretty stiff and sore. I had no idea what was going on with the Team- what missions they were going on and such. I didn't plan on finding out. If I found out then I would sneak off and join them only to get my butt chewed out later by Batman. Hence why I was stuck in my room where I couldn't overhear anything (and I had to give orders to M'gann to leave me out of any and all mental conversations). My blueprints and trips to the Zone kept me occupied at least. Though, occasionally someone stopped by to talk to me. Wally begged me for the numbers of the girls I got at the school- apparently Robin had found out about the bet I made with Dick Grayson and told the whole team. Artemis came up to give me a slap on the head _because _of the numbers I got from girls- M'gann came up and did the same thing too (as well as come by to make sure she got the recipes right). Superboy even came up to get dating advice, of all things. Now _that_ was a funny memory.

* * *

><p><em>I looked up as I heard someone knocking at the door. I quickly shoved some of the blueprints under some notebooks and hide the letters from Ivy and Harley. <em>

_"Come in," I said loudly._

_To my surprise, it wasn't Megan that came in. It was Connor, who looked a bit sheepish as he stepped in, closing the door behind him. He coughed awkwardly and took a seat on the bed._

_"Uhhh," I mumbled, unsure what was he needed._

_"…I need some… advice."_

_"Advice," I asked in confusion, "Uhhh okay… Meditation often helps with anger issues. Megan could-"_

_"-No," Connor snapped, "I need some… dating… advice… I… Megan and I had kissed that day in the kitchen and… I'm not sure where to go from here."_

_He put his head in his hands. I sat beside him on the bed,_

_"No offense, but why are you asking me?"_

_"Robin is too young. Wally's advice is terrible. Artemis might get mad. Kaldur is just as clueless about dating as I am. But according to Robin, you got several girls' numbers and half of the school's female population fawning over you already. Plus I know you won't laugh…"_

_I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly._

_"Well… I'm flattered you came to me, but there's not much I can tell you. I mean, dating is different for everyone, so someone's advice might not be accurate or work because you and her are a different type of relationship- and no, I don't mean species, I mean you as people are different. All I can is… Don't compare yourself to other couples because like I said everyone is different, and remember the perfect couple doesn't exist. You will fight sometimes. You will both need to be alone sometimes. It's okay to have different interests and stuff. Don't change who you are to please someone else…. I uhh… Wish you luck, man, really."_

_I awkwardly patted him on the back, but he actually gave me a quick bro-like hug, patting me on the back before letting me go. He started to leave and he turned back,_

_"And uhh.. thanks, by the way."_

* * *

><p>I was finally healed enough to get out.<p>

The second I exited my room, I was greeted by a large white wolf who licked me. I laughed and gently pushed him off. The large wolf, Wolf, was saved by Superboy on a previous mission. He was _huge_ due to being mutated by Kobra venom. I petted him behind the ears and headed towards the main room. I looked around in confusion and turned to Wolf,

"Do you know where they are?"

He huffed at me- he either had no idea or he wasn't going to show me the way to them. I stuck my tongue out at him and continued to make faces until he just walked away,

"Hey don't walk away from me!"

"Ehem," someone coughed.

I turned around to see a girl. She was Robin's age with long black hair and dressed like a magician, but I didn't recognize her. No names came to mind.

"You must be Spirit, or Danny," she said warmly, "Robin told me there was another guy on the team and that you were injured… Glad to see you're feeling better."

"Who are you," I asked bluntly, "A new member?"

No one told me about any new members. Then again, no one really _could_ since I asked them not to tell me anything. She laughed,

"I'm Zatana. I guess they didn't tell you about me?"

She looked down and I put a hand on her shoulder and knelt down a bit so I could look her in the eyes,

"Don't feel bad, I kind of ordered them to not say much to me while I was healing. That way I didn't hear about missions that I would want to sneak out for."

"Why didn't you want to sneak out?"

_Because I don't want Batman to regret putting me on the team,_ I thought, but instead I just laughed,

"And get chewed out by the Bats? No thanks. So where is everyone?"

"At the beach. I'm headed there myself, coming?"

"Sure. I'll just have to change."

I flew up to my room and changed into swim trunks with a white t-shirt to cover my chest. When I got back down, Zatana was already changed. She gave me a smile before we headed out, Wolf following suit.

* * *

><p>"I'm telling you," Robin said, "You missed out on a lot! We fought the Injustice League and everything!"<p>

I gave him a confused look. I was currently laying on a towel on the sand while others were in the water having a water fight. Robin, however, stayed on land to fill me in on what I missed. Apparently, all I missed was that they fought some 'Injustice League' and got a new member (which was Zatana).

"Injustice League," I asked curiously.

"Yeah apparently all the baddies formed some secret society. Joker, Poison Ivy, Harley, Count Vertigo, Ultra-Humanite, Atomic Skull, Black Adam and Wotan were all on it. _And we beat them!_"

I cheered with Robin,

"How did you manage that?"

"Kaldur put on the Helmet of Fate- yeah I know, we almost beat him up about it too. It all worked out in the end though, I guess…"

Robin shrugged. I nodded my head slightly. _So Ivy and Harley were in on this Injustice League too? Huh. That explains their letters._ I had gotten a few letters from them. Harley's was the only one that vaguely mentioned some secret society of villains. Ivy's letter was about her pumping up her plants with some new venom- which apparently was Kobra venom. Zatana laughed as she sat on Artemis's shoulders, having a chicken fight with Megan who was on Connor's shoulders.

"Danny," Kaldur called out, "Are you not going to join us in the water? Surely you are getting warm?"

"Not really," I shook my head, "But yeah, I'll join you."

I sat up and stretched before heading into the ocean. I smirked seeing Robin was obviously flirting with Zatana- the two would totally end up together. I flew up into the air, only drop as I did a large cannonball, sending a huge wave over everyone.

_I hope this lasts forever… This is a pretty sweet gig I got going on… _


	15. Failsafe

**Author Note: Thank you so much for the reviews so far!  
>~CWA<strong>

**Chapter 14- Failsafe:**

**Third Person:**

Alien forces were headed towards Earth in multiple large ships. The two Green Lanterns and the others capable of flying in space headed to greet the ships. Batman was in his ship, flying with an impassive face as usual, with many members of the League ready to deploy if necessary. They all knew that it wasn't going to end well. There were already a few aliens attacking on Earth. They had to try to be reasonable, however, and offer a warning.

"Deploying camera sensor unit," Batman announced as he pressed a button on the ship's panel.

The two pods shot out of the ship and headed towards the aliens, observing and analyzing. Hal Jordan and John Stewart stood at attention in front of the ship,

"Attention, you have entered the boundaries of Earth space. Disengage all weapons and engines. This is your final warning."

A beam shot from the area they were standing in front of them. Despite the shields that both Lanterns put up, they were disintegrated. Batman's face scowled as he flew towards the ship,

"Code red," he announced, "Full offensive deploy."

The hanger opened up, allowing Superman, Captain Marvel, Captain Atom, and Martian Manhunter to fly out towards the ship. They didn't last long however. Able to dodge one of the beams, the second one caught them, killing them. Soon, only Batman was left until the ship finally got him too.

* * *

><p>The team watched on the screen as Batman's ship got disintegrated. Yet they all were impassive, just standing as a team with Red Tornado. As soon as the screen disappeared, there was incoming transmission from Zatara.<p>

"Tornado, did you-"

"-Yes, Zatara," Red Tornado interrupted, "We saw. Celestial forces have failed. Initiate terrestrial measures."

"Affirmative. See you in the field."

The screen went away as Red Tornado turned to face the team,

"I must join the league. We will protect the planet at all costs. But should we fail, the responsibility falls to you."

The team stood at attention, stiff and ready to fight. Kaldur looked at his team before turning to Red Tornado,

"We stand ready."

* * *

><p>Screams were heard in the background. People were fleeing as they got shot at. A red-head stood in front of a cameraman, reporting.<p>

"This is Iris West-Allen reporting live. The extraterrestrials have brought their relentless global attack to Central City…."

A beam shot towards her, only to be saved by the Flash scooping her up and zooming off, Zatara hurried behind them with the cameraman. They landed on the roof. Flash set Iris down as Zatara let out a sigh,

"You both should be safe here. At least for now."

Iris turned to Flash,

"Thank you… Flash… And Zatara."

Flash put a hand on her shoulder before rushing off, Zatara following. Iris turned toward the cameraman,

"Denny, you okay?"

He gave a thumbs up. Iris gave a small smile before continuing the report,

"As you can see, the Justice League is attempting to hold the line."

She motioned towards the League members, who were then shot by the aliens and killed.

"No," she whispered just before an alien shot at her as well.

* * *

><p><em>"Ladies and Gentleman we have lost Black Canary, Green Arrow, and the Hawks… Other heroes reported dead or missing include Batman, Icon, Atom and Aquaman."<em>

Danny winced slightly before turning off the TV for the sake of the team just as they got an intermission from Red Tornado.

_"Red Tornado to Cave. I fear I am all that remains of the League…"_

As soon as he finished saying that, they watched on the screens as he got shot. Kaldur stepped forward,

"We are Earth's heroes now," he said firmly.

"So what are we waiting for," Superboy demanded, "A theme song?"

"A strategy," Kaldur answered, "Earth's weapons have proven defenseless and it has been made clear that a direct attack will not succeed."

Robin typed away at the computer, bringing up a hologram of Earth that showed several red spots,

"Here's where the aliens are now."

Danny pointed up towards the one in the artic,

"I think one of them got lost."

"It's Superman's Fortress of Solitude," Robin said awed.

"Superman has a Fortress of Solitude," Superboy questioned amazed as he stared at the hologram.

"It's power source must have attracted the alien," Robin reasoned, "Least enough for them to send a scout ship to check it out."

"Must be some fortress," Superboy grumbled to himself, walking away slightly.

Danny stopped him,

"Dude?"

"It's okay," Superboy huffed, "Guess there's a lot about Superman I'll never know… Ehh now."

"We will target this lone ship," Kaldur announced.

Danny shrugged in agreement as Kid Flash got a bit angry and excited,

"Yeah, break it down, build more, and then hit those ugly aliens with their own mojo!"

Danny elbowed him in the ribs,

"Dude," Danny whispered, "Careful with your words… They're aliens too."

Danny pointed to where M'gann and Superboy were glaring slightly. Kid Flash quickly apologized. Kaldur quickly ordered everyone to suit up into their winter camouflage uniforms to head out. Danny was the one who didn't have to change as his outfit was already mostly white. _Still,_ he thought to himself, _something about this seems off… Like it's programmed… _

He got a splitting headache for a brief moment before it went away, leaving him clutching his head.

* * *

><p>When they finally arrived to the Fortress of Solitude, it was easy to spot the large ship. The team split up. M'gann used her telekensis to rip apart off the ship, disabling communication and propulsion. Artemis shot an arrow that caused goo to seal the doors of the ship.<p>

"_ET's are sealed inside,_" she informed the team over the mental link.

The link in their minds was established by M'gann so they could have mental conversations without worrying about being heard. As much as Danny hated it, it came in handy.

Danny shot an ectoblast at part of the ship that seemed ready to fire another beam. Superboy and Kaldur held the beam of the ship in place, keeping it from shooting at the team. Now that it was safe, everyone else came out of hiding to regroup. Robin pointed out the weak points of the beam that Danny shot at, leaving Superboy to rip it off. However, an extra beam came out of the ship and aimed for Superboy. Wolf, Superboy's 'pet' wolf, pushed Superboy out of the way and took the hit, being disintegrated. Danny bit his lip to keep from crying out. He had grown attached to the large wolf that Superboy saved as well- they all had. Superboy was the one to cry out.

_"Wolf,"_ M'gann thought sadly over the mental link.

_"There was no indication of feedback," _Robin informed, turning to Superboy, _"I'm sorry."_

_"We have a mission to do,"_ Danny chimed in, _"And we need to get back to it. Now." _

_"You're right,"_ Superboy agreed, _"There's nothing we can do for him now."_

Danny joined Superboy in trying to tear apart the ship. They were successful and brought it to the bio-ship, where M'gann revealed the ship as it attached the beam to its bio-matrix.

_"This is going to take a few minutes,"_ M'gann informed them.

_"We might not have a few minutes,_" Robin chimed a bit panicked, _"Two ships headed our way."_

_"Miss Martian, open fire," _Kaldur ordered.

"_Can't weapons are offline to incorporate the canon."_

_"I'll get it,_" Danny said fiercely as he let Superboy hold the canon.

He flew up in the air to meet with the ships. His team called out various warnings for him to get away and not get so close, but he didn't listen. Artemis joined him as she shot arrows.

_"We got you covered,_" Danny said over the link_, "Get inside! Now!"_

Danny's ectoblasts shot down one of the ships and the Artemis shot down the other. They both ran towards the bio-ship to get to safety. One of the ships, however, wasn't fully taken down. Its canon took aim and it fired, hitting Artemis. Danny turned back and screamed.

"ARTEMIS," Wally, M'gann and Danny screamed.

Danny landed next to the bio-ship, crushed. M'gann was on the brink of tears and Connor comforted her the best he could at the moment. Danny clenched his fists tightly and closed his eyes, desperately trying to calm down. The only thing stopping him from going on a large, world-wide destruction-filled rampage (which would have got him ended before he could do much) was the fact he had to take care of his team. His new family.

"Get inside all of you," Kaldur snapped as he prepared to fight.

"No," Danny growled, causing Kaldur to stop, "They're _mine."_

He opened his eyes and they were glowing red. He flew in front of Kaldur and straight towards the remaining ships. He showed no mercy as he destroyed the rest of the ship, letting out his anger. _One more person I cared about that I didn't save. _When he finally stopped, he came back to the team. Kaldur ushered everyone into the ship, Danny being the last to step on. Kaldur put a hand on his shoulder, concerned,

"You did all you could do."

"And it still wasn't enough," Danny growled, taking his seat in the ship.

"They're dead," Wally growled to himself, "They're dead- every single alien… If it's the last thing I do."

As the ship started to fly again, everything was silent. Everyone was grieving in their own ways. M'gann was sobbing to herself. Danny had his fists clenched with a small unnoticeable ectoplast in his palm, burning into his skin as a way to punish himself. Wally was screaming as he hit the panels in frustration.

"There will be time to mourn later," Kaldur said gently to everyone, "Now we have a job to do. Defend the Earth and be sure that Artemis's sacrifice was not in vain."

"Back to the cave," M'gann asked.

"The Hall of Justice," Kaldur corrected, "The human race must know that there are still heroes left to defend them. There's still hope."

* * *

><p>The Hall of Justice was a battle ground. The sky was dark and bleak, which was oddly fitting to the moods of everyone. The Military stood their ground in front of the building, shooting at every alien ship. M'gann opened the hatch of the bio-ship, releasing Superboy and Spirit to attack the alien ships below them.<p>

Superboy landed with a thud on the roof of one of the alien ships. He didn't hold back as he punched into the roof, tearing the ship apart. Danny flew in front of the ships and formed a large whip-like attack with ectoplasm to hit the line of ships, knocking them down. As soon as the ship were down, the Bio-ship landed. Superboy and Spirit stood in front of the general of the army at attention from respect and their team joined them.

"See, it is Superman," one of the young soldiers told his comrade with a nudge, "I told you he wouldn't leave us out here alone."

"I don't know," the other soldier said, "He looks kind of young… Where's the cape?"

"I'm not Superman," Superboy said a bit frustrated.

"I don't know who you are son," the General stepped forward, "And right now, I don't care. You wear the S and you got the job done."

"I'm not Superman," Superboy repeated.

"Tell that to the enemy."

Robin gave a side-ways glance to Danny, who had calmed down but was still obviously upset. Robin noticed the burn marks on Danny's hands and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He leaned in towards the older boy,

"Hey, you okay?"

"Fine," Danny said, his fists were still clenched tightly, his nails digging into his palm, but his eyes had turned into a mixture of red and green.

"I'm gonna pretend I believe that," Robin quipped.

The General turned towards Kaldur and gave a salute,

"General Wade Eiling, U.S. Airforce."

"Aqualad, Justice League," Kaldur greeted formally, "We'll help you salvage as many of the aliens' canons as possible. Then we will start taking back what is ours."

* * *

><p>The inside of the Hall of Justice wasn't that much better than the outside. The building itself was in ruins. The statues of the Justice League were knocked over and broke. The team couldn't help but stare at the statues, the reality of the situation setting in them.<p>

"They're really gone," Robin whispered.

M'gann flew to the statue of her uncle and landed on her knees, sobbing. However, she back tracked and threw her hands into the air, lifting the statue up to reveal a disorientated Martia Manhunter.

"Uncle J'ohnn," M'gann cried out happily.

Kaldur stopped her from running up to him,

"_Check his mind, make sure he is whom he appears to be."_

"_It's him,"_ M'gann confirmed, "_He's real and he's alive!"_

"But we saw you get disintegrated," Superboy argued, "You and Superman! Everyone!"

"Yes, I remember," J'ohnn said, putting his hand to his head, "But I do not recall how I survived or how I arrived here."

_My ghost sense didn't go off,_ Danny thought in wonder. _So he's not a ghost… _

"Maybe you were density shifting and the beam passed right through you," M'gann offered.

"Scrambling your brains along the way," Robin chimed in excited.

"My mind is clouded," J'ohnn said, considering their theories, "I feel certain that I had something important to tell you."

_Probably how you survived,_ Danny thought irritated.

_"It might be a teleportation,"_ Wally offered hopefully, _"they weren't killed, they were teleported like how the zeta beams work!"_

_"I don't think so Wally,"_ Danny shook his head, _"it doesn't make much sense… I mean-"_

_"-No,_" Wally said forcibly,_ "It's teleportation! It has to be! Artemis and the others are alive! I just know it! They're all alive!" _

_"It is giving off zenopenes," _Robin hesitantly agreed.

"That must have been what you wanted to tell us," M'gann said looking to her uncle.

Kaldur and Danny shared a similar look of disbelief, not easily buying the idea of a teleportation beam. However neither of them had a chance to comment, as they got word that alien ships were just outside firing.

_"We're on our way,"_ Kaldur thought to Robin and Wally, who were both outside with the soldiers.

_"Negative,"_ Robin disagreed, _"We can't win this. Miss Martian, cameo the bio-ship."_

M'gann did as told, only to be shot backwards as she felt the pain of the bio-ship as it got destroyed. Superboy caught her from falling down as Robin, Wally, the General, and a few soldiers came rushing in.

"We're trapped," the General announced loudly.

"Maybe not," Kaldur disagreed, "We can all zeta to the cave. If you can grant us computer clearance access to the tubes, Manhunter."

Kaldur led them all through the building towards the hidden zeta tubes that were in the back. They finally reached the zeta tubes as J'ohnn shook his head,

"I can only authorize one at a time."

"Send the soldiers first," Danny offered.

"Negative," the General disagreed, "You all are assets we cannot afford to lose."

Kaldur didn't say anything as he shared a look with Martian Manhunter. J'ohnn stood in front of the camera as it scanned him,

"Override. Martian Manhunter. 07."

_"Recognized,"_ a computer voice answered, _"Access granted."_

M'gann stood forward as she got scanned.

_"Recognized. Miss Martian, B-0-5."_

One by one they all exited. Robin. Kid Flash. Then the aliens reached them. Kaldur pushed Wally through the zeta tube before he could protest, leaving himself, Martian Manhunter, Superboy and Spirit to fight. Superboy helped the soldiers fighting, bringing one of them to the zeta tube to be teleported.

"You next," Kaldur said firmly to Superboy.

He huffed, but went through after the soldier. The other soldiers were quickly dying off.

"They need you more than me," Kaldur said as he pushed Martian Manhunter through the tubes.

Kaldur turned to Danny, who quickly shoved Kaldur through the zeta tubes,

"Don't worry! You'll see me in the afterlife eventually!"

Kaldur screamed his protests, but it was no use. He was teleported, leaving Danny the last one to fight the aliens. He clenched his fists and his eyes turned red,

"You killed my friends. You killed innocents. You're going to end me. But not before I take some of you down with me… YOU ARE SO DEAD!"

_Dead _ was the word that was stretched out so loudly, forming waves of his ghostly wail towards the aliens. The structures around him starting to topple over. The ships got destroyed, but so did the Zeta tube. He stopped. The building was in complete rubble now. He was tired. He was weak. He had no energy, but more ships were coming. Danny got on his knees with a pained smirk. _I already died once, it's not so bad… At least this death will be a bit better than my first… I'll finally be able to see my family and Sam…_

"Hit me with your best shot, you bastards."

Danny let out a pained cry as one of the beams from the remains of the ships hit him.

* * *

><p>Danny woke up screaming- he screamed in grief, shock, surprise, and most all, <em>pain<em>. Physically, he was fine, but mentally? He was already messed up to begin with. When he finally stopped screaming and looked around in confusion, he saw he was in the Cave. _The… What about the aliens.. _Batman was standing over him. Wonder woman was in the corner with Black Canary and Green Arrow. Superman was there, looking as shocked as everyone else felt.

"What… What did you do," he growled in accusation towards Batman.

"None of it was real, it was a failed stimulation to help you prepare for the future when everything that could go wrong, goes wrong."

Danny clenched the edge of the couch tight enough that it crumbled in his grip. He looked around and saw them- Kaldur, Robin, Wally, Megan, Connor, Martian Manhunter, _Artemis._ All of them were knocked out on the floor, the couch, scattered everywhere.

"If that's true, why aren't they awake?"

"The exercise went wrong. Subconsciously, you were supposed to know it wasn't real… I suppose something wrong when Artemis died? She was the first one to get knocked into a coma… I'm surprised you're even awake… They'll wake up soon."

Danny looked down at his fists. There were scars forming on his palm from when he burned it. He must have done the same thing in real life in his 'sleep.' _Probably because of my ghost powers… _

"You don't know that they will."

"You don't know that they won't."

* * *

><p>The team was… unenergetic. They all understood it wasn't real, but it <em>felt<em> real. It left them all feeling drained and lost. So much that Black Canary was called to be everyone's therapist to help them get over it. Danny argued with Batman for _hours_ about not going to see her. He argued that he was fine. Batman knew better and told him if he didn't go to the sessions like everyone else, then he would personally send him back to Arkham. Regaurdless or not whether he meant it, it scared Danny enough that he did go to therapy with Canary.

He didn't plan on saying much, but that was before he sat down across from Canary in the secure room and saw the look in her eyes. It reminded him of Jazz. He broke down into tears.

"I feel like I was robbed," Danny admitted, "I… I feel like I was robbed out the opportunity to see my family again- my _real_ family I mean."

He couldn't explain that he already died once and got robbed out of the opportunity and now it hurt twice as much getting robbed again. He put his head in his hands.

"I thought about death a lot. I still think about death a lot… I sacrificed my life- in the exercise I mean. I accepted that I was going to die. I wasn't scared. I was just happy that I could die a heroic death and not a cowardly one…. But…"

Danny sniffled as Black Canary leaned forward, heart broken.

"It was bad enough to see my family die in front of me, why did I have to see it all over again?"

Danny sobbed loudly. Canary got up and hugged him as he sobbed.

"…I just wanted to see everyone again…"


	16. Be Mindful of Ghosts

**Author Note: Updating a second time today as a gift to my girlfriend.  
>~CWA<strong>

**Chapter 15-Be Mindful of Ghosts:**

**Third Person:**

Danny was locked up in his room again, but this time he had a legitimate reason. He had a huge headache from all the current events. First, the team thought there was a mole. Then the mole turned out to be Speedy, who was actually a clone of the original, who was programmed to infiltrate the League and put those little mind-controlling alien tech on them. They ended up fighting the League and gained a new member, Raquel also known as Rocket who was a protégé of Icon. Danny loved all the excitement, really, but now he was just worn out. _I didn't know ghosts could get tired._

Everyone else was already back at their own homes, either patrolling or sleeping. There were no new missions. He deserved a break. Danny plopped down on his bed and thought about what Clockwork told him (he still visited the old stopwatch when he could). _"Newer ghosts do require sleep, just not as much nor as often as humans. It's a part of adjusting to death."_ Considering Danny hasn't slept at all since he joined the team, that being a full year ago, he really needed sleep now. _A year on the team… And they still don't know that they're friends with a ghost- that has to be some kind of record… They still don't even know about my time in Arkham._

Soon, his snores were filling the room. His brows furrowed and he started to toss and turn in his sleep rapidly.

_The agents stood over him with stoic expressions. He was chained to the examination table with anti-ghost cuffs. There were gashes all over his body. Some were self-inflicted. Others were not. _

_"Please…stop…" Danny begged, "I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"_

_"Apologies don't make up for the fact that you are scum…"_

_They started to cut into him, ignoring his screams. It hurt. It hurt so bad. _

Danny curled into a ball, his eyes still shut tightly as the memories came back to him in his nightmares.

"I'm scum," Danny whispered, "…Just please… Please stop… I'm scum… I'm scum… I'm sorry…"

* * *

><p>Bruce scowled as he looked through the files on the computer, some included footage from Danny's room. He did have to monitor the boy- who still dealt with nightmares that made Bruce wince in sympathy. He tried to keep focus.<p>

_Where do those portals lead? Why is he keeping it a secret? _A zoom-in on the blueprints revealed that they were to make some sort of weapons. Did he make a mistake taking Danny out of Arkham? He didn't think so. If Danny planned on doing anything, he would done it by now, unless he was trying to earn everyone's trust first- if that was the case, he succeeded. Everyone trusted the boy- even Bruce found himself liking the teen. Robin even admitted to thinking of Danny like the older brother he never had. Still, the weapons, as crazy as it seemed, were named as _'anti-ghost weapons.' _Was Danny still insane, thinking of ideas to protect himself should the ghost come after him? Or… did Danny have a point in his paranoia? Bruce knew ghosts were real, but anti-ghost weapons seemed a bit of a stretch.

To make matters worse, he was having trouble tracking down and shutting down the Guys in White. The mysterious agency whose goal still remained unknown was better at hiding than he originally thought. Of course, he eventually managed to track them down, but shutting them down remained another thing entirely. He wanted to see them gone for good with no hopes of returning- no hopes of hurting Daniel again. Yet, that was proving harder and harder as the days passed.

He frowned to himself. He desperately wished to help the boy in whichever ways he could, but to do that he needed to fully understand just what Danny was thinking. Such a task seemed impossible. However, before he could look up anything more, he was suddenly aware of a presence behind him. He turned to see what was best described as a ghost- a ghost with a ticking clock in its chest. Bruce put up the cowl and prepared for a fight should it come to that. However, the ghost just raised its hand,

"Peace, Mr. Wayne. I am a friend of Daniel's."

Bruce relaxed slightly, but kept his eyes peeled. At least Robin wasn't home and Alfred was upstairs. Clockwork took a step forward,

"I am Clockwork. I am the Master of Time. I see the past, the present and the future- all that can be and will be…"

Bruce stood up straight and narrowed his eyes, suspicious as to why someone such as Clockwork was visiting him. As if knowing what he was thinking, Clockwork smiled slightly,

"I am a ghost, Mr. Wayne. And I believe it is time for you to know the truth about Daniel- his past and his future- so that you will be able to help him… And that boy needs help."

With that, Batman listened. He listened as the ghost explained Daniel's past- the lab accident was what caused Daniel to get powers. However it did much more than that. It turned him _half ghost._ Bruce listened as Clockwork retold the tales of Danny's success and fails as a hero named Phantom. Clockwork didn't leave a single detail out and if not for Clockwork's powers, then it would have taken _hours _of Bruce's time, but it was time not wasted.

Vortex. Fright Knight. Technus. Skulker. Ember. All of those were names of ghosts- ghosts that Danny defeated to protect the unthankful town. Pariah Dark was the one that stood out the most- as was the story of Dan. Both showed two sides of Danny's power. The boy was sure to be a great hero if Bruce didn't make a mistake with him. Vlad Masters was a name Bruce knew. He had spent some time at dinner parties with the man. Yet it turned out that Bruce's gut about Vlad wasn't wrong. He was a villain that tried to help in the end.

He learned absolutely _everything _about the boy and none of it was boring. He briefly wondered why Danny didn't simply turn back into his human form. He didn't learn everything about ghosts in general, but he learned the basics. The Ghost Zone was where ghosts resided and it was a dimension connected to the land of the living. Ghosts were made from ectoplasm and despite being dead, they did have their own afterlives. They had children, got married, etc. There were good ghosts and bad ghosts. There were friends and there were enemies.

Finally, Clockwork finished the past tales of Danny and spoke of the Guys in White. As Clockwork spoke, Bruce's anger rose. They were not a government agency- once upon a time, they were. However, now they were off the books. They were inhumane, insane, and… Bruce gritted his teeth.

"Shortly before Daniel's second rampage that took out half the agency, the agency did something to which makes even myself angry… They killed the boy. What little of his sanity was left had been broken. They turned a half ghost into a _full ghost…_"

Bruce clenched his fists- yet another reason for him to hate the agency. Clockwork turned as he created a portal back into the Ghost Zone.

"Do what you will with this information, Mr. Wayne, but whatever you choose to do should be with Daniel's best interest in mind…. As a future father to the boy, I hope you realize that."

* * *

><p>Batman arrived at the mountain with a slight scowl. New information rolled around in his head, but a part of him was a bit happy and satisfied. He had spoke to Robin, who was thrilled with his plan. Connor, Wally and Megan looked at Batman curiously as he entered, but they didn't ask what he was doing there. <em>You never question the Dark Knight.<em>

When Batman entered Danny's room, he wasn't surprised to see the boy asleep, tossing and turning. Batman approached slowly, cautiously.

"Daniel," he spoke firmly, but received no relevant reply.

Danny turned in his sleep,

"Sorry," he mumbled, "I'm sorry… I'm scum… I'm scum…"

Batman felt a sharp pain in his chest from sympathy. He put a hand on Danny's shoulder,

"Danny," he said a bit louder.

Danny shot up out of bed and got into a fighting stance. His whole body shined in a white aura brightly and his green eyes glowed dangerously. When he saw it was Batman, he lowered his stance and collapsed onto the bed again. Danny started to go back to sleep again, ignoring his visitor.

"I wasn't aware ghosts needed sleep," Batman said dryly.

Like that, Danny was wide awake. He sat up in the bed and gave Batman a worried look.

"How long have you known?"

"Not long," Batman said simply as he wandered around the room.

He stopped at the desk. The letters from Poison Ivy and Harley were shoved into an opened drawer. Blueprints were scattered across the floor and the table. He picked one up and turned to Danny,

"What are these for?"

"…I'm a ghost. I can defend myself… But other people can't," Danny explained quietly, "Without anti-ghost weapons, how can people defend themselves against ghosts? And how could they defend themselves against me if I ever turned evil? I'm sorry I didn't tell you… I can pack up my things and head back to Arkham."

Batman thought of the possibilities and made a small mental note to encourage Danny's inventing by getting the materials he would need to create his designs. Disappointed and disheartened, Danny got out of bed and headed to get a duffle bag with his head down. Batman put out his hand and stopped Danny from taking one more step.

"Stop," Batman said firmly, "You are not going back to Arkham."

"…I'm not?"

"How could you be my second protégé if you are in Arkham?"

Danny blinked in confusion, taking in Batman's words. Finally, he smiled and took Batman by surprise with a tight hug,

"Thank you! Thank you!"


	17. Meanwhile

**Author Note: The next chapter is what happened to Loa when she left the girls and who her husband is. _I do own Loa and Bayou (Bayou was mentioned as the ghost who started the break out and gave Danny the amulet). _  
>~CWA<strong>

**Chapter 16- Meanwhile:**

**Third Person:**

Val clenched and unclenched her fist around the ecto-gun for the dozen time. It had been a year since they died. Since Phantom killed them all. He nearly killed her too and he probably thought she was dead. She barely survived. She was under the wreckage, hidden in the basement with a few other Amity Park residents- there was maybe four of them in total and they were all that was left of Amity Park- her, Star, Dash, and some kid named Weston. They were each shocked in their own ways, but they were all heartbroken. She spent most of the time in there comforting her former friends.

A part of her wished for revenge. Her father was dead. Her friends were dead. Phantom was the cause of it all. He _always_ was the cause of it all. Another part of her just wanted to see Phantom and get an explanation- _why did he do it?_ Phantom was a menace- always was- but he was never a killer before that day.

The revenge part of her died off when she met up with Dani again. The young half-ghost explained a lot of things to Valerie- the major one being that her former boyfriend/crush Danny Fenton was alive… Because he _was _Phantom. Danielle explained that he was the second halfa to ever exist and she's not sure why Danny attacked and killed the town either. However, what she did know broke Valerie's heart in two. Danielle had told her about the Guys in the White- they captured Danny after his rampage. At first, Val was thrilled. The monster was caught. Then she remembered that the monster was a former friend and Danielle told her that the Guys in White _killed_ him- she had gotten the information from a ghost named Loa. He did a lot of bad things and according to Loa, he paid dearly for them.

They spent the next few days in mourning, grieving. He did a lot of bad things- things Valerie and Dani aren't sure they can forgive him for easily. However, _he did die. _

Now, they were on a mission- _to find Danny._ It proved more difficult then they first thought since they had no way of knowing where he was. Was he still with the Guys in White? Was he alone in some mountain cave like an old hermit? Was he insane? Loa told them as much as she could- spoke about how Danny, to her knowledge, was mostly sane and back to being a hero again. She came across the information from her mate, who had been secretly watching over Danny for a while. However, her contact with her mate had been cut off due to a fight they had, leaving them in the dark where Danny might be.

Currently, the old pick up truck that Valerie _borrowed _was parked outside a gas station as they took a small, much-needed break. _But we're getting nowhere. _She scowled and hit the panel with her fist, causing Dani to jolt awake. Loa, the red-skinned 1920s themed ghost, was invisible behind them, watching them curiously. Valerie, for Dani's sake, tolerated the ghost before eventually warming up to the ghost herself.

"Wah? Where's the ghost," Dani yawned and stretched.

"Right here," Loa said, trying to be helpful as she got into the back seat of the truck, still invisible.

To Loa's confusion, Dani stuck her tongue out at her before smacking her lips and turning to Valerie, who looked angry. Dani gulped nervously and slowly started to exit the truck,

"I see that you're upset… So I'm just going to go use the little ghost's room…."

She dashed off as Valeria got out of the truck and slammed the door. The night sky was beautiful with all the visible stars- they were practically in the middle of nowhere. The gas station itself was old, the lights were flickering and one of the letters from their sign was out. The parking lot was empty besides one other truck who had to be the poor guy who was stuck with the night shift. Loa looked at Valerie and sensed the negativity. Her core clenched and she took off her gray hat as she phased through the truck to get to the woman. The red feathers on it brushed against Valerie's neck, causing her to tense and glare at the ghost. Loa didn't pay any attention as she reached into the hat and pulled out a small white amulet. She smiled and handed it to Valerie, who accepted the gift hesitantly.

"You're so young," Loa said wistfully, "You don't deserve all this negativity in your life… But you have to understand that Daniel, or rather Danny, to my understanding, was just acting on instincts and grief when he destroyed the town. That doesn't excuse what he did, but it does mean that he might be just as lost as you are… This amulet is made from white magic. I've had it for a long time and waited to give it to someone like you."

"A psychotic hunter," Valerie guessed with a huff.

"No. A strong woman. This amulet will help you. It will take away the negativity until you are properly healed mentally and your soul bares no tears… It's a healing amulet."

"What's the catch," Valerie asked with a raised eyebrow.

She trusted Loa only because Dani did- though Danielle had only met the ghost herself last month. Loa's yellow eyes shined with joy,

"There's not catch, but it does have another ability. Love."

Valerie shook her head. She didn't necessarily believe the ghost, but she held the amulet in her hands as it laid on her chest from the thin chain. It did look good and she was starting to feel better.

"Speaking of love," Valerie said, eager to change the topic, "What about you and your… ehh… _mate?"_

"He's also my husband," Loa chimed, "And… We're complicated. Our fight wasn't a pleasant one…"

"What did you fight about?"

"Oh nothing," Loa said dismissively, "Just… personal things- plans for the future, I suppose…"

She sighed deeply. They fought about many things- plans for future children, their personal plans involving the young humans and Danny, and their bet over the hero.

"We're connected," Loa continued to explain as she pointed to the black tattoos on her chest,

"He has the same tattoos in white. Our souls are bonded. To be gone from him for so long… It hurts… And he's refusing to listen to me."

"Then I suggest you make him listen," Valerie said confidently.

Loa nodded her head slightly. She wasn't as out-spoken or head strong as Valerie, but she supposed she could make an exception if it made him see her side of the argument. Loa finally smiled,

"I will…. Thank you, my friend."

With that, she disappeared, leaving a confused Valerie in the parking lot alone. Danielle returned and she looked around,

"Where's Loa?"

"Settling her business."

* * *

><p>It took them three days before they heard from Loa again. Valerie was driving through the country, feeling drawn towards the east direction of the country. It was if some unknown force was guiding her, pulling her. <em>At least I feel better,<em> Valerie thought. The amulet was doing just what Loa said it was going to do- and according to Danielle, Loa gave her a ring to help her with negativity too, but without all the whole nonsense about 'love' that the amulet did.

The red-skinned ghost appeared in the back seat of the truck just as Danielle's ghost sense went off. The ghost gave a smile and a nod of greeting,

"Hello. I do believe I found out where Danny is… He's in Happy Harbor. Just down this highway, in fact… I wish you good luck. If you don't mind, girls, I have some other business to attend to with my husband… We have a lot of making up to do."

With that, she turned into a shadow of herself and slowly disappeared, causing Danielle to shiver,

"For a so-called white-magic ghost, she sure can be creepy sometimes."


	18. Down in New Orleans

**Author Note: This chapter explains the amulets (does anyone even remember the brief mentions of them?) and where Loa went during those three days. Also, again, _Gracie/Loa and Frank/Bayou both belong to me (ghost OCs of mine). _This is my favorite chapter so far.  
>~CWA<strong>

**Chapter 17- Down in New Orleans:**

**Third Person:**

A tall, lean dark skinned man stood in the shadows of an ally, eying the people that passed by. His opened black jacket revealed the white tattoos across his chest. His black hair was in dreads covered by a tall black hat that currently had colorful bead necklaces around it for the celebration. In his hands, he leaned against a staff that was decorated with black silhouettes of dancing stickmen.

Loud music filled throughout all New Orleans in the spirit of Mardi Gras- which was to take place the next day. Men and women stumbled down to their cars in a drunken state. Colorful beads were littered throughout the whole city. A few stopped and greeted him drunkenly. He greeted them politely with a tap of his hat but he wandered away as he spotted a woman crying on the sidewalk, sitting on the curb. He stopped by her.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but no one deserves to be crying on this wonderful holiday."

"Kind of hard to celebrate when your boyfriend dumps you," the woman sniffled.

"He be mighty stupid for doing so," the man said charmingly, but the woman wasn't fooled.

She waved him off,

"Go find someone else to take home tonight. I'm not interested."

He leaned down,

"You misunderstand my intentions. I'm here to help you."

He twirled his staff in his hands as he stuck it out, offering her a hand in getting up. She hesitantly grabbed the staff and he used it to hoist her up back on her feet. He tipped his hat politely,

"What would you say if I had a mighty power? A power that I could use to help you… Such as a love potion?"

"I'd say I didn't catch your name and how much?"

"Why I have many names, but you can call me Bayou and it won't you cost you nothin' but your shadow."

* * *

><p>Zatana had a problem. She paced the main room with a small scowl with the files in her hands. Robin looked over curiously,<p>

"Something wrong?"

Zatana let out a huff in reply as she slammed the files on the desk, causing both Wally and Danny to jump nearly dropping their plates of food. Megan and Conner looked over curiously and Artemis raised an eyebrow as she looked up from sharpening an arrowhead made of wood.

"This is what's wrong," Zatana said, pointing to the file.

Danny shoved a sandwich in his mouth- he never needed to eat but by now it was a habit to keep up the appearance of being alive. He and Robin both flipped open the file and spread the many documents and pictures across the table. Megan let out a sigh,

"I told you guys, no more murder photos when we're eating."

"Sorry Megan," Zatana apologized, "But this is major. There's a shaman in New Orleans named Frank Anderson. He used to be on Dad's watch list- over ten years ago. But then, Dad for whatever reason, dropped interest in him… Then this happened."

She gestured towards the file. Danny picked up a picture of a woman. She looked like she had been beaten to death. The next picture showed a man- he was crying. The documents said that the woman was Abby Fuller and the man was her boyfriend, Hank Johnson, who apparently beat her death.

"Looks like a case of a man's jealous getting the better of him or domestic violence. Sad but relatively normal considering what we deal with," Robin said.

"Not to mention I fail to see how Frank Anderson, whoever he is, is involved," Danny said confused.

"Frank Anderson was seen talking to the woman shortly before Hank killed her. According to Hank, who confessed to the murder and was even the one to call the cops, Abby had slipped something into his drink and he felt… different- he felt _bloodlust._"

"And," Artemis asked, "Probably drugs."

"Maybe, except for a few things," Zatana explained, "The first thing is that they tested Hank for drugs or alcohol and he was clean except some of the stuff that showed up… Well the chemicals are similar to what's used in a _love potion._ The second thing is that Frank is no mere shaman. He's a voodoo doctor- if he was seen talking to Abby and handing her something, bets are that it was some potion. Finally, look at the photo of Abby again- the crime scene ones. What's missing?"

Robin and Danny were the ones to look over the photo carefully. Wally just skimmed over it, but saw nothing unusual. Then Robin spotted it. The shadows of the sign labeling the scene could be seen, but the girl's body, which hung from a fire escape, had no shadow.

"She doesn't have a shadow."

"Exactly," Zatana said triumphal, "Which is Frank's calling card. He made it onto Daddy's watch list because ten years ago, people were starting to act differently. Most were acting crazy and some were murdered. All of them, however, had no shadows. It's apparently his 'price' for his services. According to Dad's records, he has a staff that the shadows would then appear on. He stopped creating chaos when his apparent wife showed up and stopped him. Apparently, according to Dad, he only was doing everything because he was upset from a fight with his wife…. The two were very close, according to the records. Though nothing else was mentioned except that well…"

"What," Danny asked.

"According to the records, they were ghosts."

Danny choked on his food a bit, waving off Megan when she gave him a concerned look. Zatana and Artemis shared a look- remembering that incident when they had to face the ghost of a little girl (Secret). Robin knew ghosts existed, but this seemed to be something different than what he was used to. Wally openly scoffed and voiced his opinions,

"Ghosts? You guys managed to convince me magic _might_ have some possibility of being real, but _ghosts?_"

"Uhh Wally," Robin said, "You do know that one of the villains Bat and I face is a ghost, right?"

"That's different," Wally stressed, "He's not a ghost, just some sort of mutant."

"Ghosts are real Wally," Danny chimed in, "You never know when one might be in the very same room as you… And I don't know about you, but if I was a ghost and I heard you denying my existence, I'd want revenge…."

Danny's _Chesire_ grin spread, causing Wally to shiver. Danny mused over multiple ideas to prank Wally convincing him a ghost was haunting him. Zatana just sighed,

"It doesn't matter if you believe in ghosts or not, we all agree he's something that needs to be stopped, right?"

"Right," Robin agreed, "Megan, how fast can the bio-ship take us to New Orleans?"

"There's something else," Zatana added, "In New Orleans, there's reports of something going on in the graveyard so some of us will have to check that out too. Agreed?"

"Fine," Wally grumbled.

"New Orleans," Raquel, aka Rocket, said happily, "I'm so in!"

* * *

><p>New Orleans was busy- <em>very <em>busy. It was so busy that as they walked through its streets, they were barely even noticeable- even though Danny didn't have time to put his wig on. Though he did change into casual clothes, shades and a beanie to help disguise him- it seemed to work for Robin. All around them were people dressed in colorful costumes or with colorful beads. People all around were getting ready for Margi Gras. Megan even grabbed some colorful masks, beads and hats for the team, which they wore to make her happy (and because Wally was snapping pictures with his phone for a photo album).

"The graveyard is down that street," Zatana informed her team, "So whose going where?"

Kaldur thought for a brief moment before speaking up,

"Zatana, Connor, Danny and Raquel will go after Anderson. Their powers will come in handy should he attack and Zatana, he is your villain after all. Robin, Wally, Artemis, Megan and myself will check out the graveyard. Understood?"

"You go it," Danny said.

He was hoping he would get put on the team that would check out Frank. He was curious about the man and his ghost sense would come in handy- even if they didn't know it. Zatana gave a nod and everyone split into their own groups. Kaldur and his group headed towards the graveyard. Even if it turned out to be pranksters, it was better safe than sorry and the fact that it was taking place at the same time Frank was back made it a bit more of interest.

"My senses can detect his magic so we can track him that way," Zatana explained.

Danny nodded as did Connor and Raquel. Zatana motioned towards another street and began leading them through New Orleans, slowly tracking down where Frank may be. Of course they all got distracted by music, people, costumes and food. Danny managed to sneak into a place and get alligator meat for him and Raquel to snack on without Zatana noticing (he was not going to miss the chance to try alligator meat). Finally, after three hours of searching, Danny's ghost sense went off. He tensed and Zatana stopped the group.

"There."

Up ahead there was a man who could only be Frank Anderson as he held the staff that had many shadow people dancing on it.

* * *

><p>"This is boring," Wally complained, earning a slap in the back of the head from Artemis.<p>

He pouted at her, but she just glared mildly. He stuck out his tongue at her before chewing down on the frog legs he zoomed over to get a nearby shop to eat- which earned him disgusted looks from Artemis and Megan. Kaldur just shook his head and Robin even joined Wally in eating the small feast.

"You must focus," Kaldur snapped.

"Why it's obvious nothing is going to happen," Wally said, "The sun already went down."

It was at that moment that they heard a rustling noise. Artemis glared at Wally slightly as if to say that it was his fault because he complained about nothing happening. She did _not_ want another incident like what happened with Secret. The team got into a fighting position. Megan, at Kaldur's okay, attempted to look into the nearest mind that wasn't one of them. She furrowed her brows,

"I…I can't get in. There's a mental shield blocking me."

"That would be the white magic, dear," a soft, sweet voice replied.

The team tensed as a woman appeared in front of them. She had light red skin with black tattoos that were visible on her chest. She appeared in her mid-twenties. Her short curly black hair was covered with a light gray hat with red feathers that matched the 1920s dress she wore. Her yellow eyes seemed to pierce through their souls. Her overall appearance made Robin think of a flapper girl. She smiled kindly at them,

"I didn't mean to startle ya," she said with a hint of a Louisiana accent, "But I'd thank ya kindly if ya would help me."

"Helped you," Robin asked cautiously, "Are you the one whose been stirring up trouble in the graveyard?"

"Trouble," the woman asked offended, "Why I'd never! I didn't mean to scare nobody."

"What do you need help with," Kaldur offered, giving her the benefit of doubt.

"Name's Loa. I've been looking for that trouble-making husband of mine. You see, we had a fight. We don't fight often, but when we do, he tends to get… chaotic. I've come here lookin' for him to explain him a few things, but I can't seem to find him…"

The team shared a cautious look, all of them thinking the same thing. Though it was Kaldur who stepped forward,

"Miss Loa, would your husband happen to be a man named Frank Anderson?"

"That be him," Loa nodded, "Though he isn't called Frank, his name now be Bayou."

* * *

><p>As they neared Frank Anderson, Danny stopped as he recognized the man. He froze up, drawing the attention of his concerned teammates. It was his hesitation that allowed the team to lose track of Frank as he ducked into an ally. Zatana turned to Danny,<p>

"We lost him! What happened to you?"

"I… I uhh… I think I know him."

"Know him," Raquel asked shocked, "I thought he was a bad guy.. .Was he one of the guys you took out?"

"Actually no," Danny rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "I kind of saved the guy and he gave me a nifty good-luck charm."

As soon as his words were digested into their brains, Raquel laughed. Connor shook his head and briefly wondered just how much he really knew about Danny and his past before the team- he obviously didn't save the guy while on the team otherwise they would have heard about it. Zatana's eye twitched.

"You actually accepted a charm from a voodoo man?!"

"I didn't know he was a voodoo man," Danny raised his hands in defense, "And in my defense, I kind of thought he was dead since after he gave me the amulet, this ag-… _guy_ came up and killed him. Least I thought so."

_"Team,"_ Zatana thought over their established mental link, _"We lost track of Anderson and Danny apparently knows him."_

_"We found his wife,_" Kaldur informed them, _"We'll be over shortly. Hopefully she can help us find him. She wants him to stop his reign of chaos as much as we do."_

Zatana and the team shared a look of disbelief. Out of all the possible things they had planned to do to capture Frank, none of them included the wife who according to Zatara's records usually showed up to stop his chaos. Danny let out a sigh of relief- if they did manage to catch Frank (well if _he_ and Zatana did because they would be the only ones with the abilities to do so), then Danny would have had to create a Ghost Portal to get rid of him, opening a whole new can of worms with his team. With the wife, it could be resolved peacefully and hopefully they would go to the Ghost Zone themselves.

* * *

><p>When Danny and the others met up with Kaldur and the rest of the team, Loa was the one who spoke first. She went straight to Danny and to everyone's confusion (including Danny's), she hugged him tightly,<p>

"Oh I have heard great things about you, boy!"

"You… know me?"

"Course I do. Bayou's told me much about you and I happened to meet your cousin. She's as kind as can be, that little spitfire. But I never got to meet you personally so I could thank you for saving my husband's afterlife. The first time you saved him, that is, the time when he 'ended' was really just a fake disguise so he could high-tail it out of there. I see you go the amulet he let you have too. That's good."

_My cousin,_ Danny thought confused. The only one who came to mind was Danielle… _Dani… She… I forgot about her.. I actually forgot about her…_ Danny's core clenched and he barely managed to hold himself together.

_"You have a cousin,_" Megan asked curiously.

_"Yeah, my little cousin. She's… She likes to travel so I haven't seen her in years. We don't even keep contact that much."_

Danny shook his head and stepped forward.

"You can see the amulet," Danny asked in confusion as he looked down.

Sure enough, with no need to hide itself so close to its maker, the amulet had reformed back into a real amulet. It fell from under his shirt and laid on his chest over it instead.

"Oh," Danny muttered.

Loa gave a laugh,

"Name's Loa, boy, now I believe we have ourselves a trouble-making voodoo man to find… He's a big fan of alleyways and dark places, that's why I was checkin' out that graveyard, but now I believe he's likely to be in an alley somewhere."

* * *

><p>It took them another hour to track down Frank, or rather Bayou. It was a good thing they found him when they did as the awkward tension between everyone was getting unbearable. No one knew what to make of Loa or her apparent connection with Bayou and Danny. She seemed very nice, so why was she even married to a man such as Bayou?<p>

"So where are ya now-a-days, dear," Loa asked Danny quietly.

"Happy Harbor," Danny replied, "But eh why do you want to know?"

"I just be curious, boy, that all."

It wasn't too long before they found Bayou in an ally, just as Loa guessed. He was in the middle of mixing a few potions on a crate, muttering to himself about _'never wanting to fight with the wife again.' _He was obviously still upset, but his mutterings made Loa smile as she neared him. The team stayed a good distance behind, ready to attack if necessary.

_"Hey guys,_" Wally thought, _"I just thought of something. If they're supposed to be ghosts, aside from Zatana's magic and maybe Danny's powers with the whole intangible thing, how were we supposed to fight Bayou?"_

_"I would have mentioned it sooner,"_ Danny thought over the link, _"But I thought you guys had already considered it. Well, too late to do anything now. If he attacks, we just have to hope Zatana and me are enough."_

_"Uhh I have iron weapons," _Robin thought a bit annoyed, _"I could do some damage."_

Danny gave a nod, acknowledging Robin's statement. Loa gave a small giggle,

"Always muttering, you are. I told you, if ya want anyone to hear ya, you gotta speak up."

"Gracie! Loa,"Bayou gave a shout in surprise, causing him to nearly spill his potions.

As soon as he saw his wife, he swooped her up in his arms with a large smile,

"I'm sorry, darlin'. I should've seen ya own side of the argument."

He buried his face in her neck, which was a bit awkward considering he was so tall and she was so small. The scene was almost touching until they all remembered he was a criminal.

"Frank Anderson," Kaldur said firmly, "You have to come with us to face penalty for your crimes."

Bayou turned to everyone, a grin on his face.

"Now, now, there ain't be no need for any fightin'. I'll be goin' back home with my wife, if ya don't mind. I'll face trail back there. Ya humans tend to be biased towards folk like me- and I ain't be speakin' about my species. I be speakin' about my color…."

He tsk'ed slightly and Loa grabbed onto his arm in a comforting manor as she whispered into his ear, calming him down a bit. Danny took a step forward, motioning for everyone to stand down.

_"My parents were ghost enthusiasts,"_ Danny explained over the mental link, without going into details, _"According to them, ghosts have their own home dimension called the Ghost Zone. They live their afterlives much like we live our lives, to a degree. They have families. They have laws. Let me talk to them, please."_

_"Of course,"_ Kaldur said as he stepped aside.

Danny gave a small wave in greeting, causing Bayou to laugh,

"No need to be so shy, boy! Come up here and greet this old voodoo man!"

"Old? He looks like thirty," Wally whispered.

Loa turned to the speedster,

"We're a lot older than we look, dear. We may have died in the 1920s, but time is stopped in the Ghost Zone… We're well over two hundred."

She laughed at their expressions as Danny winced slightly. Bayou smiled,

"Now, I do promise ya, I will be payin' for my crimes back in the Zone. The wife will be sure that I do and ya know how… _good_… she can be. I see you still have that amulet, boy, good, good. Glad to see you're still wearin' it. Without further ado, the wife and I will be goin' now. Ya be good, ya understand?"

Danny nodded slowly as Bayou twirled his staff, forming a portal. The two ghosts stepped through as it disappeared, leaving a befuddled group behind them.

* * *

><p>After they had left New Orleans and headed into the Ghost Zone, Loa had excused herself to go inform her new friends where Danny was. Then, she returned to the lair that was shared with her husband. The little voodoo shop was surrounded by a large swamp filled with different creatures. The shack itself was bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. It was filled with everything they would ever need to create new potions, spells, and voodoo dolls. Loa turned to her husband as soon as they entered the shack.<p>

"You're not going to the Council to get trailed for your crimes, are you?"

"You know me so well, darlin'," Bayou laughed, "But nah, I will, eventually, but right now we gotta see what's a goin' on with that little ghost boy."

Loa rolled her eyes but sat down on a couch, watching her husband as he put various ingredients in a pot. She knew exactly what he was talking about- their plan.

"The amulets are working at least," Loa informed him, "The little magic in 'em will be drawn to each other, they be meetin' each other soon."

Frank nodded. Their amulets weren't bad. They did just as they told their wearers what they would do, but there was much more to it. The amulets were a _'yin and yang'_ they were _drawn_ to each other. If they so happened to lead their wearers to each other, then so be it. Though that was their plan after all. They wanted Danny to meet his 'cousin' and Valerie again. Bayou had used the amulet he gave the boy to monitor him- he wanted to make sure the boy wasn't a threat to his business. According to him, the boy had been having trouble with his mental health. He liked the ghost boy- the child did save him after all. Therefore Loa was sent to track down his close companions and friends that were left to bring them together. Though she found out that he was much closer to Valerie and Dani than anyone else that had survived.

"By the way," Loa said casually, "I still bet ya a twenty that Valerie be gettin' with Danny in the future."

"You're on, little darlin'."


	19. Loose Ends

**Author Note: By golly, this chapter is long.  
>~CWA<strong>

**Chapter 18- Loose Ends:**

**Third Person:**

As soon as Valerie and Dani entered Happy Harbor, they were relived. According to Loa, Danny was in Happy Harbor. They were finally got to see him again. Of course they were both going to give him Hell for worrying them and for the destruction he caused, but considering the Guys in White already gave him Hell, they would take it _a bit easy_ on him.

Using a ghost tracer, Valerie was able to pinpoint Danny's location- Mount Justice.

"A mountain," Dani asked in disbelief, "He's in a mountain?"

"He's been in weirder places," Valerie shook her head, "But we better get up there before he decides to high tail it out of here."

_Ready or not,_ Danielle thought, _Here we come Danny._

* * *

><p>Danny sneezed and crinkled his nose as he continued pacing in the kitchen. He glanced around cautiously, looking for something out of place. The strangest sense that something was going to happen was a bit overwhelming. Perhaps it was the fact that a few days ago, Loa had told him that his cousin was still alive, or perhaps it was the fact that the amulet he was wearing wouldn't come off (both he and Zatana have tried to get it off) and was now starting to <em>burn<em>. It was like the amulet was trying to get him to do something, or lead him somewhere because when he headed in certain directions, the burning sensation got worse and in other directions, the burning was almost nonexistent. It was like a twisted game of _hot and cold_ and he had no idea who, or what, he was looking for. It was all putting him on edge.

Wally dropped a plate, causing a loud CRASH sound as it scattered. Danny jumped and shot ectoplasmic blasts at the shards of plates, causing Wally to jump back, shocked.

"Whoa, dude, you saved me the clean up, but what's got you so riled up?"

"Sorry," Danny winced, relaxing, "I… I just have the sense that something's going to happen. _Soon_. And the amulet's been getting worse."

"Worse," Robin asked interested as he entered the room, "How so? Batman and I have been trying to research it but came up with nothing. Zatana's not having that much luck either."

"Worse like the burning is getting almost unbearable, whatever Bayou had planned with this thing, I have the sense it's going to happen soon…"

"None of it this would have happened if you didn't accept a gift from a voodoo man," Artemis pointed out.

Danny threw his hands up in the air in defense,

"How many times do I have to tell you guys that _I didn't know!?_ Geesh. It's like listening to a broken record…."

By now, the entire team filled up the kitchen. Robin raised his hand,

"Speaking of Bayou, you never really explained what happened to make you save his life, or afterlife since he was a ghost, or why you were so insistent that the amulet was working."

Danny scratched at the back of his head, unsure how to explain it in ways that wouldn't be lying to his team. He did hate the lying, but it made things a lot easier.

"Ghost hunters, very bad, mean, _ruthless_ ghost hunters were trying to end him. They believed that ghosts had no feelings, no emotions, and could not feel pain- at least that was what they said, which was bull. It wasn't that they believed that, they just _didn't care_ that the ghosts that they were experimenting on, _ending_ had families, afterlives, feelings, and _felt pain…_"

Danny clenched his fists and he growled slightly before clearing his throat,

"They are… Impossible to be reasoned with. I saved Bayou from them ending him- and in case it wasn't clear, ending is a ghost's version of dying and no, they don't come back as ghosts the second time. The ghost hunters believed me to be a ghost too so they weren't exactly friendly with me either. Anyway, I know the amulet works, or at least believes it does because trust me, there are a lot of places worse than this that I could be right now- like a lost worst. Or ended."

Danny shivered and Robin was the only one to note that Danny said '_ended' _instead of _'dead.'_ He hummed slightly to himself before his watch started to beep.

"Uhhh while we're on the topics of ghosts, apparently there's an alert that was sent to the League about someone attacking in the forest near the mountain."

"Aren't the League going to take care of it," Rocket asked.

"Not if I happened to arrange it so I got alerts first," Robin said with a grin, "Now the alert says the person is calling themselves a ghost, so who wants to go check it out?"

Robin looked around at the team. Kaldur was shaking his head with a sigh. Connor and Megan shared a look. Danny was still scratching at the amulet around his neck desperately. Rocket and Artemis looked bored. Wally was still eating.

"Beats being stuck here," Connor finally said as he stood up.

"Sweet," Robin cheered.

* * *

><p>Valerie stopped in her tracks, causing Dani to look back at her. Val was furrowing her brows as she looked at the ghost track, acquired from the wreckage of Amity Park and fixed up by her. She reached one hand back and tightly gripped the strap of her backpack which doubled as the disguise for her Red Huntress suit and hover board. At least the suit wasn't damaged in the rampage.<p>

"Dani," Val said, "We have a problem."

"Is it a _'we ran out of snacks'_ problem or a ghost problem," Dani asked, hoping for the earlier.

Neither one of them wanted to have any ghost issues now of all times. They had been hoping to find Danny and they were so close. Yet they had a job to do. Protecting people, hunting ghosts- it was what they did. They couldn't stop now just because of personal issues.

"Ghost. Something small though so it shouldn't be much of a problem."

"Where?"

"Just in those forests," Val said, pointing to the woods up ahead, "Shouldn't take too long with no one to see us…"

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."

* * *

><p>Danny was torn between laughter and panic. After all, Loa and Bayou had known him (or of him in Loa's case), but they didn't reveal anything about him. Box Ghost, however, had a bigger mouth. He wasn't careful. He was barely even a villain. His team, however, might disagree with him on that as they were having trouble fighting the ghost, especially without Zatana. Danny was off to the sidelines, not helping since he was desperately trying not to laugh as the flying boxes attacked his teammates.<p>

"I AM THE BOX GHOST! YOU WILL NOT DEFEAT ME!"

"Spirit," Kaldur snapped at Danny, "We need your help. He is tougher than he appears to be."

That was it. Danny couldn't hold it in anymore. He burst into laughter- full blown, pain in the sides laughter. He was laughing so hard that he had to stop floating a few inches off the ground and he nearly sank through the ground because he was that unfocused. All of his teammates gave him mild glares, but it was Robin who hit him upside the head.

"Dude!"

"I'm sorry," Danny laughed, "I'm sorry… It's just…"

Danny stood up straight and puffed out his chest as he did a small impression,

"He is the Box Ghost, Ghost of all things square…"

The Box Ghost stopped his fighting and turned to Danny. He floated a few inches in front of his face.

"Do I know you," he asked suspiciously.

Danny backed away slightly just as Box Ghost snapped his fingers,

"You're-"

Before the ghost could finish his sentence, there was a bright blue light and he was disappeared as he was sucked into a thermos that was being held by a girl in a red armored suit. The girl in question had a full head helmet that covered all of her features. Her partner, however, wore no mask and there was no mistaking the resemblance between Danny and the white-haired, green-eyed floating, glowing fifteen year old girl.

"So glad we managed to save that thermos," the girl in red muttered to herself.

The white haired girl was laughing too hard to really notice the comment,

"They were getting beat by the box ghost! Hahahaha!"

Danny cracked a small smile despite the small panic that was rising in him.

_"Uh dude," _Wally said over the mental link, _"Do you uhh know them? Cause you look like the white-haired girl."_

_"Uh yeah, I know them,_" Danny answered hesitantly, _"and the white haired one is my little cousin- Danielle…"_

_"Your cousin,"_ Megan said shocked.

_"What about the other one,"_ Robin asked.

"_I… Her name's Valerie, but she went by the Red Huntress."_

_"A hero?"_

_"Sort of- ghost hunter slash hero… I thought she was dead…."_

Danny couldn't help but stare at Valerie. She was alive. How? She wasn't a ghost- his ghost sense would have went off… Were there others he thought were dead, but survived? Did Valerie hate him? Probably. What about Dani? How did they meet up? Did they come here to hunt him down, return him to the Guys in White because they hate him?

No one dared to speak a word, sensing the tension in the area. Though they were curious about her connection with Danny. No one noticed the THUNK that was caused by Danny's amulet as it seemed to buzz, rattling the chain it was on, before finally calmly and no one noticed that Valerie was wearing an identical amulet that had the same reaction. Finally, both amulets seemed to sink under their clothes before attaching to their skins yet again, forming a tattoo.

Valerie took the helmet off, revealing her features. She walked straight up to Danny and slapped him in the face, causing everyone to look at her shocked.

"That's for leaving for over a year and not checking if I'm still alive," Val said with a growl.

If the slap didn't shock them enough, her next action certainly did. She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him for a small kiss. While it didn't last long, it was enough to earn whistles from Wally, Robin, Rocket, and Dani. Artemis and Connor both were shocked and smiled slightly in amusement while Kaldur let out a small chuckle.

_"And here I thought he'd never find a girlfriend,"_ Wally thought with approval.

_"Not my girlfriend,"_ Danny chimed in.

When they pulled away, Danny's blush was a dark green before he coughed in embarrassment. He pulled her into a hug,

"I thought you were dead," he muttered into her ear.

"Takes a lot more than that to kill me."

"But… You don't hate me?"

"Oh didn't get me wrong," Valerie said, pushing him away slightly, "I hate you. What you did was stupid, wrong, and downright _evil_… But I do forgive you…. Do it again and I will kill you."

She shook her fist at him threateningly and he gulped. He was thankful when Dani finally stepped in, or rather she tackled him,

"DANNY! Whose your friends?"

Danny laughed and spun her around before finally setting her down.

"Val, Dani, meet my team, or well Kaldur's team cause he leads it. Miss Martian, Superboy, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Artemis, Rocket and Robin. Team, meet Dani _with an I _and Valerie."

"Red Huntress," Valerie corrected as she shook Kaldur's outstretched hand.

"And I'm Boo," Dani said proudly.

"Boo, really," Danny asked skeptically.

"Yep."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Dani said, her eye twitching.

"…Really?"

"Yes, shut up," Dani said as she gave him a punch on the shoulder.

* * *

><p>As soon as they arrived at the cave, after getting the okay from Batman that both Valerie and Dani were allowed to come in, Danny excused himself and lead both the girls to his room where they could speak privately. They didn't hold it against him- they understood. He thought one was dead and he lost contact with the other. They needed their privacy- especially considering the way that Valerie greeted him. As soon as he made sure the room was secure (well as secure as it could get considering he knew that Bats would be listening and watching somehow), he turned to Valerie and Dani with tears in his eyes.<p>

He hugged them both tightly,

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I…"

"It's okay," Valerie said gently, rubbing his back, "We're pissed, but we forgive you. You're okay."

"I'm not okay," Danny sobbed, "I was horrible. I was… I was evil, Val. What I did was _evil."_

Val glared at him,

"Yeah it was, but you know what? Time moves forward so we will too. But like I said, do it again and I will _end_ you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Danny said solemnly, "I've even been working on something… The team doesn't know about anything about my past and they certainly don't know about this."

Danny handed her a small black box,

"In it is a button. If I ever rampage again, _press it_."

"Danny," Dani said cautiously, "What is it?"

"It's a way to stop me," Danny swore, "It will active a device that I have in me- and no, there's no way to get it out. It's a way to end me _quickly._ I kind of stole the tech from Bats and I know he knows I'm building something, but I don't think he knows _what_. I wanted to give it to Batman, because I know he'll be strong, mentally I mean, to do it should it come to it. But Val… I trust you. I have trusted you since Amity, since we dated, and I'm sorry I never told you, but… Look, I just want you to have this, okay? Promise me you'll use it if I kill another being. _Promise me."_

Val wasn't sure what it would do exactly- the gruesome details. She just knew that Danny was obviously showing her that not only did he trust her, but he trusted her enough to put his afterlife in her hands- to not abuse it or lose it into the wrong hands. She nodded,

"I promise."

"Val," Dani whispered harshly but Valerie just glared at her,

"You know it's the right thing to do, Dani."

"…That doesn't mean I like it," Dani huffed.

Danny gave a small smile,

"Enough doom and gloom…. I'm just glad you guys are okay… I don't even care _how _you survived because all that matters is, you did…"

Dani gave a cheeky smile,

"Surviving is what we do best, Danny… Now why don't we go get to know your new team? Race you down there."

Before he could reply, she was off. Danny and Valerie both laughed. Val put the box in a drawer of Danny's desk, whispering to him that she will get it once she has a safe place for it. As Valerie stepped through the doorway, Danny grabbed her arm,

"And uh Val… About… About us… The kiss, I mean…. Does that make us…?"

"Maybe," Valerie said honestly, "But I'm still working out some things and obviously so are you. I still care about you… But don't over think it, ghost boy."

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before making her way down the hall.

* * *

><p>It took nearly two hours for everyone to get comfortable with each other, but Danny was glad when everyone was back to being their normal, relaxed selves. It meant a lot that they were at least trying for him because Dani was his family and they saw how much Valerie obviously cared for him. Currently, Valerie was going back and forth between talking about tech with Robin and talking about other things with Artemis. Dani was playing video games with Wally as Danny and Megan fixed diner for everyone. They had to fix a large meal with everyone having large appetites already without counting in Wally and Dani's appetites. As soon as Danny called out that the food was done, everyone rushed to the kitchen and took a seat at the table (which was much larger than it was before seeing as everyone was starting to eat at the cave more often).<p>

Danny set down the plates in front of everyone, piles of mashed potatoes and steak were stacked up high on each plate (except for the normal humans who had a normal appetite and Kaldur whose plate had fish instead of steak).

"So Dani," Robin said as he slurred up his drink, "How did you get your powers?"

Before she could answer, Danny interrupted,

"Didn't I tell you guys? She was in the same lab accident I was. We got our powers at the same time. She just decided to hit the road and travel so we lost contact."

"Hey," Dani protested slightly, "I just figured I should see the world while I could. Besides, your town was covered, with you off being a hero. I mean really, I could do small heroic work, sure. But you? You protected the whole town- _a lot_. Who else would protect everyone from the ghosts?"

She nudged him slightly and he tensed and avoided the looks of his teammates. Wally choked on his food slightly,

"Dude you said you did small hero work! Not facing ghosts!"

"How many ghosts were there," Robin asked curiously, "And just _how_ did they get there?"

"I considered it small hero work," Danny said easily, "As for the ghosts, well, I told you my parents were ghost enthusiasts… And ghost hunters. They built a portal in their lab that was actually a portal to another dimension- the Ghost Zone. It's a dimension that's connected to ours where the ghosts reside. Before that, ghosts came through natural portals that could land them anywhere, any _time_ since the Ghost Zone is everywhere at every time, it's complicated. Anyway, with the portal up and running, ghosts now had a way to get here, _all the time_. Since Dad was never the brightest and didn't lock it up or he kept opening it by accident, a lot of ghosts came through to wreck havoc. It was the same time I got my powers and my parents were great inventors, but they weren't great ghost _hunters_. Someone had to protect the town, so I did. Even if they hated me… Though that's not to say all ghosts are bad because I've been in the Ghost Zone before, multiple times. I met some pretty cool, friendly _good_ ghosts that either care about humors, or don't want any trouble at least."

Danny felt himself relax, finally having that out in the air. His team digested the new information, learning new things about one of their best friends and teammate (he was second in command for a reason). Dani winced when she realized she opened a whole new can of worms that might cause trouble.

"Danny, why didn't you tell us," Kaldur asked, "It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Ashamed," Danny crinkled his nose, "There's nothing to be ashamed of. I protected the town…"

_Least I did._ Danny continued,

"I just didn't feel the need to bring up- there was no point. No one outside of our town knew about the ghosts or me. I don't even go by the same name anymore. I used to go by the name Phantom. Now, I'm Spirit."

Danny puffed his chest out in pride, causing Valerie to roll her eyes. Everyone nodded, understanding, but a bit hurt that he didn't tell them. There was a bit of tension in the room, but it was defused by Megan.

"What about you Valerie," Megan asked, "Red Huntress?"

"I was a ghost hunter," Valerie explained, "Still am. That idiot over there used to be one of my enemies because I thought he was one of the bad guys."

She was careful to say _'bad guys'_ instead of _'bad ghost'_. If his team didn't know about his superhero past, she doubted they knew about the whole 'ghost' thing. Though by now, she figured at least one or two of them have figured it out and just didn't say anything. The team nodded slightly. Danny gave her a thankful look to not 'ghost'. He knew that Robin and perhaps even Kaldur knew by now since they fought the ghosts. Everyone else, thankfully, was dense enough to not connect the dots- it helped that he kept up the appearance by eating and that they haven't fought any ghosts in a real fight (the only ghosts they even met were Bayou, Loa and Box Ghost).

"Yikes," Raquel winced, "But how do you go from enemies to exes? To apparently still friends?"

"Ohhh uhh," Danny stuttered, "That's complicated…"

"They didn't know," Dani cackled.

"Didn't know," Artemis quirked an eyebrow, "You managed to date the one person who was secretly your enemy?"

"Bad luck," Danny offered, "She didn't know I was Phantom, but I knew she was Red Huntress- it was on the reasons I didn't fight her when she fought me and I was always trying to get through to her… When did you find out anyway?"

"Not that long ago," Valerie said with a huff, "Dani told me when I met up with her on the road."

"That reminds me," Artemis said, "Why did Danny think you were dead?"

Robin's communicator gave a beep and he excused himself as Danny replied.

"A gas leak blew up the whole town. You guys know that my family died and my girlfriend at the time, Sam, did too. They were murdered shortly before the gas leak that managed to kill everyone. I was lucky enough that I was already on the outskirts of town by then… I thought everyone else died too…."

Danny looked at Valerie, guilty and ashamed of what he did. Valerie gave him a sympathetic look and he smiled slightly.

"Uhh guys," Robin spoke up, "We have a problem…. Bats informed me that Ivy and Harley escaped- their just outside of Gotham. It's dark and the outskirts are abandoned. Batman has to take care of Joker and he wants us to take care of it."

_Ivy and Harley,_ Danny thought with a wince, _this is turning out to be a reunion filled day. _

* * *

><p>The trip there in the bio-ship wasn't nearly as awkward as it could have been, but Danny was still a bit tense. He was about to see Ivy and Harley again. People he considered sort-of friends. They still even exchanged letters, though he hadn't seen them in a long time. He was unsure how they would react to his hero pass time. If they did put up a fight, he would have to take them down- no <em>if's, and's<em> or _buts _about it.

Sure enough, Harley and Ivy were there, arguing about which way to go. Ivy's plants surrounded her and Harley had her large hammer. Both were oblivious to the covert team watching them. Valerie and Dani were there- Danny nearly begged for them to join for the mission.

"_There they are,_" Rocket said over the link, causing Val to crinkle her nose under the helmet.

"_Spirit, Superboy, Boo, Miss Martian and Red Huntress you are to engage with Poison Ivy. Robin, myself, Rocket, Artemis, and Kid Flash will take Harley. Watch out for the hyenas- they're in the bushes. Is that understood,_" Kaldur ordered.

"_Loud and clear,_" Danny nodded.

At Kaldur's command, the team engaged in combat leading with Robin sending a kick to Harley's face while Danny and Dani shot blasts at Ivy's plants. Ivy turned with a hiss to face her attackers- the ones who _dared_ to hurt her _babies._ Ivy scowled as she whistled,

"BABIES," she called out loudly, the two hyenas of hers jumped out with a growl.

_"Artemis, Kid Flash,"_ Kaldur ordered.

_"On it,_" they replied before taking down the aggressive animals.

They wasted no time in attacking the jester which proved to be more difficult than they thought as the woman was able to dodge many of the attacks while throwing her own. Ivy was too busy to notice Harley's fight as she faced her own attackers. She knew of Miss Martian and Superboy from the Injustice League attack, however three of them were new… And one of them was a familiar face. She dodged an attack from Dani as she looked surprised at Danny.

"Kid? What are you doing here?"

Harley stopped her fight long enough to turn towards Ivy. She spotted Danny as well. She gave a chipper smile and wave,

"Hiya, Casper! Whatcha doin' with these loons?"

"Like your one to talk," Robin growled as he went to hit her.

"Calm down, bird brain, I'm trying to talk to one of my friends."

She stuck out her tongue and blew a loud raspberry, which proved a good enough distraction to throw another pie bomb. Danny winced as everyone began to talk over the mental link at once.

_"You know them,"_ Wally screamed.

_"Friend,"_ Artemis growled.

_"Danny,"_ Val and Dani asked confused.

_"…I knew them from Arkham,"_ Danny finally replied, _"The Asylum for the mentally insane and deranged as others called it…"_

There were many more replies from everyone- some were angered, others sounded hurt. Finally, Kaldur's voice rang out,

_"ENOUGH! We have a mission to do and everyone needs to focus on it. Matters concerning Danny and his past relations will be dealt with when we get back to the cave."_

No one argued with him, but it was still a bit difficult to focus as the two villains talked casually with Danny as they all fought. Even when Danny managed to take Poison Ivy, she was still talking about the newest episode of_ Housewives._ _It would almost be easier if they were mad at me,_ Danny thought.

"And don't worry kid," Harley said as she and Ivy were tied up tightly for transport back to Arkham, "We ain't mad at ya. As long as ya try to stop us, we will fight, but we'll still send our letters!"

She cackled loudly.

* * *

><p>As the team gathered in the cave, Danny hung his head low, avoiding everyone's eyes in shame.<p>

"…First you didn't tell us about your past heroic activities," Kaldur said, "And now this. All in the same day. How much more are you hiding from us? You are our friend, our teammate…. You can trust us… Why didn't you tell us you were a patient at Arkham?"

Valerie and Dani, a bit confused, stood at Danny's side with Robin. Val even had a comforting hand on Danny's shoulder. She understood- not entirely, but she understood enough. Robin wasn't nearly as shocked as the others. Everyone else was avoiding Danny. They stood at the other side of the table with distrusting eyes showing hurt.

"Better question," Wally said bitterly, "Why were you in Arkham in the first place?"

"It's… Complicated," Danny said softly, "I… I better start at the beginning… I'll tell you as much as I can, but there's only so much I can say in one long… Well actually, it's the morning now so technically _two _days. I promise you I will tell you everything else about me _soon_,but I will tell you a bit…"

Val tightened her grip on his shoulder and he reached a hand up to grab her hand for comfort.

"There was… an agency called the Guys in White. They didn't like me, mostly because like everyone else in the town, they thought I was a bad guy. They were the ones that killed my family- they said for suspicions of being ghosts, but that was bull. There other reason was for harboring a fugitive, also bull. But they killed them. They trapped me and killed them in front of me…."

Danny's hands started shaking slightly. Val grabbed his hand tightly, calming him down. Dani bit her lip and looked away to not show any tears.

"Everyone has a breaking point… That was mine. The gas leak wasn't actually a gas leak. It was me. I lost it. I got out of their grasps long enough to go on a blind rage rampage that lasted until I had destroyed and killed the entire town. At least, killed most of the town…"

Megan let out a horrified gasp and Connor's grip on her waist tightened as she buried her head into his shoulder. Raquel's grip on her chair was tight enough to destroy it. Wally and Artemis were squeezing each other's hands. Kaldur's expression hardened. Robin stiffened, the information being a bit new to him, but he quickly dismissed it. He already promised himself that Danny, no matter what his past was, was still Danny- the same Danny he thought of as a brother.

"The Guys in White captured me then… They… They… The experiments, oh god, the experiments… the vivisections, the electrocution… Any torture imaginable…"

He was starting to enter a panic mode. Val leaned over and whispered into his ear,

"You faced worse than this, you can do it."

He calmed down slightly before continuing,

"I…I thought I deserved it, I still do… The experiments were enough to cause a lot of damage, I was insane. But they captured ghosts too. Bayou was one of them. He organized a break out. He busted me out too. That was when I met him. I saved him from an agent trying to end him and he gave me the amulet only to get shot by another agent- or at least I thought anyway… But I was so angry. So… So very angry… I lost it again…. I destroyed half the agency. Killed half the agents…. "

Megan was openly crying into Connor's shoulder. She could feel the emotions coming from Danny- all the pain, the shame, the guilt. The rest of the team was nearly in tears as well. Artemis was even crying a bit into Wally's chest.

"I… Oh god, I was terrible…. I… They sent me to Arkham while the building was being rebuilt. I was at Arkham for a while. Ivy and Harley were actually pretty nice… Then Batman showed up when there was a break out. I rounded up stray criminals and helped him take them back in. A bit later, he returned with the proposal for a second chance…. On a team…"

"Our team," Kaldur mused, "He put you on our team to help you."

"It worked. I… I didn't keep this from you because I didn't trust you. I kept it from you guys because I was scared… I still am… I just… I already lost one family. I don't want to lose another… And I was terrified you would find out and turn me into the Guys in White…. I just…"

Tears were falling silently down his cheeks.

"Anything else," Wally joked, trying to ease the situation but at Danny's look, his face dropped, "No. Really?"

"Yeah… there's one more thing… I'm not exactly…"

His sentence dropped off, unsure how to tell them. Dani looked over and cracked a small smile,

"Alive," she offered and Danny nodded,

"Yeah. That…. I know a lot about ghosts and I can fight them because well, I _am_ one."

The silence in the room was deafening and everyone was surprised. How could he be a ghost? He ate. He fought. He didn't look like the ghosts they saw. Danny gulped nervously,

"I… I wasn't always one. I was a halfa- _half ghost_, half human. The lab accident kind of was the cause of that. I could change between my human form and ghost form. I was half _dead_, half _alive._ It was weird, but it worked, especially since my parents didn't exactly like ghosts I had to keep it a secret and the only ones that knew were my older sister, Sam and my other best friend at that time, Tucker. Somehow the Guys in White found out and that's why they were so against me. To them, I was a freak- a monster with the face of a kid…."

"What happened," Artemis bravely asked, "What _killed_ you?"

"They did. The experiments were too much. The Guys in White killed me and they didn't care. They continued with their experiments too. I…Please don't turn me in back to them."

He looked at his team hopefully with teary eyes. Megan was quick to run over and give him a hug,

"Oh Danny! We would never turn you in! It's just… a lot to take in…."

"I know," Danny whispered, "I…I'll give you guys some time."

He phased out of her arms, turned invisible and then flew through the ceiling to head towards the cliff. He needed some time to calm down and he knew they needed some time to adjust.

* * *

><p>Danny sat on the edge of the cliff for the next two hours doing nothing but stare at the night sky and muse over his thoughts. He wondered what would happen now. He hoped he did the right thing. He didn't mention Dani's true past because he knew how much it still upsets her (and because it was much simpler to just say she got her powers when he did). He didn't even look up as Robin sat down next to him.<p>

"You've been gone a while…"

Danny shrugged, not sure what to say, leaving the two in silence before Robin spoke up again.

"They forgive you, you know? It's a lot, sure, but they get it. They hide things too- trust me, I know. They're just not sure how to adjust to it, but they're doing pretty good. Valerie told them about that device you made- the one that will kill you if someone presses the button. She told me to tell you not to get mad at her because it was only after she told everyone that did everything start settling down and they understood just how much you have suffered because of your mistakes…. She explained a lot about ghosts too- not much about the Zone, but she told us some basics and that not all ghosts are evil, etc…"

Robin kicked his feet in the air as they dangled off the edge of the cliff.

"I already knew about Arkham since I hacked into the Bat again. I kind of guessed about the ghost thing. I didn't tell you because I knew you would tell us when you were ready and it's kind of obvious you weren't ready to tell us yet. You were kind of forced by peer pressure to tell us. So I'm sorry everything had to be found out this way…."

Danny smiled weakly, but he gulped as Robin continued,

"I know about something else too."

Robin gave a cheeky smile,

"Just when are you planning on telling them you're dating Valerie?"

Danny gave a nervous laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm not dating her… _yet._ It's complicated…. She… We care about each other, like each other, it should be simple…"

"-But it's not," Robin finished, "Yeah, I get it. Just man up and ask her out!"

Danny playfully shoved Robin, laughing. Finally, Robin stood up and gave a grin,

"Race you to the cave!"

"Oh you're so on!"


	20. Return of the Bastards

**Author Note: **

**I forgot to mention this, yes not everyone in Louisiana talks like Loa/Gracie and Bayou/Frank, but they came from the deep south of Louisiana in the bayous (and in case you didn't pick up on it- they died in the 1920s, so the accents would have been stronger). Nowadays, not everyone has that accent, but there are some that do (my brother lived in Louisiana and through him I met some that did). Again though, they did die in the 1920s _and_ were from the deep south so the accents are stronger. **

**Yes, Valerie lived because Sam died _in front of_ Danny (being killed by the agents) whereas Danny didn't visually see Valerie die. I also felt a bit bad for Danny not having someone and Valerie was the most likely choice (plus I do like Valerie).  
>~CWA <strong>

**Chapter 19- Return of the Bastards: **

**Third Person:**

For once in his afterlife, things were going good. There were no more burdens on his shoulders. He was protégé to freaking _Batman_- which was going swell even if he wasn't allowed to know the location of the Batcave (he at least got to see it after being blinded-folded and secure on the way there). Valerie and Dani, while not a part of the team, came by to visit. The team was at ease with him again- Wally and Raquel often made jokes about his ghostly status. Zatana was told everything by Robin with Danny's permission and she was okay. Two months after he confessed all his secrets and everything had yet to back fire on him.

There was only one thing that was bothering him. Valerie. She came by to visit more often than Dani. It was during those times that the two were often exploring the town, seeing sights, or flying around. He wasn't sure if their activities were considered dates and he had no idea where they stood. Were they a couple? They were interesting in each other, cared about each other, that was obvious. Valerie made that pretty clear as well.

Danny ran a hand through his hair as he plopped down at the diner table, _I think that we're a couple… Just not official… _He spotted Robin and whistled to get his attention,

"Rob! What's the best way to ask a girl out?"

Robin laughed,

"You still have half of the girls at Gotham Academy pinning after you and you're asking me for relationship advice? Just ask her!"

"But it's _Valerie,_" Danny stressed, "I just can't _ask _her."

"Why not?"

"It's not enough," Danny said firmly, "I have to go all out…. Do you know where the nearest floral shop is?"

"Flowers," Robin said skeptically, "She doesn't seem like the romantic, flowery type. You sure?"

"Positive."

* * *

><p>Danny couldn't help but grin at his handiwork. It took one hour to find the florist shop, another hour to get all the flowers needed, and another two full hours to complete the whole thing. The flowers were Valerie's favorite- red azaleas. He might of went overboard, but it would be worth it if she said yes. The flowers were across the cliff's steep edge, some touching the water below, spelling out the words <em>Date? <em>The question mark was tricky, but nothing a bit of sticky ectoplasm couldn't fix.

He stood floating in the air, looking at the finished product and puffed his chest out in pride. He looked at his watch. He told Valerie to meet him here at seven- it was only twenty minutes till then. He paced through the air from the nerves and excitement. _Sam… Sam would be happy for me,_ Danny reasoned. After a full year with the team, there was one thing he learned- it was best to move on. So that was what he was doing. Moving on. _Hopefully she says yes… _

He stopped pacing as a bad feeling came over him- the feeling of being watched. With a job like his, that was never a good sign. Who was watching him? He got his answer as an anti-ghost net shot at him, knocking him down only to land on a small hover board. Men in white suits hovered over him on their own boards. The very sight of them caused his very core to freeze in panic.

The Guys in White were back.

* * *

><p>Valerie landed in the cave smoothly, which was difficult considering she had a sleepy Dani lazily draped on her back. Dani yawned before jumping off of Valerie's back,<p>

"Thanks for the ride, Val. Danny said I can't fly when I'm like this… Apparently it's an aerial danger."

She yawned again. She waved a lazy hello to Connor and Robin who were standing nearby before heading towards Danny's room- the one place she knew she could sleep safely and soundly without being disturbed. Connor turned to Valerie as she disabled her suit,

"Late night ghost hunting?"

"More like late night cramming. Apparently she forgot about this big test at her school."

"I didn't know she went to school. What happened to the traveling thing," Connor asked curiously.

Valerie shrugged,

"Danny convinced her to settle down a bit since he got Batman to make a fake identity for her as his little sister. That combined with this scholarship she got offered from Gotham Academy, Danny refused to let her just pass it all up…. Personally, I think he just wants to keep an eye on her. You know how protective he gets of her."

"Speaking of," Robin chimed in, "Shouldn't you be with Danny? It's past seven o'clock."

"Why," Valerie asked confused, "He never texted me anything."

Robin's brows furrowed slightly. Danny texted him well over thirty minutes ago saying how he let Valerie know to meet him by the cliff nearby at seven o'clock. It could be a simple phone error, but with lives like theirs it was _never_ so simple.

"He said he had something big planned," Robin admitted, "He wanted you to meet him at the cliff at seven. Maybe the phone just messed up…"

"Well, I'd hate to keep the ghost boy waiting. See you guys later."

She gave a two-finger salute before suiting back up and heading out. Robin, however, was still thinking about how something felt wrong.

* * *

><p>Danny's eyes fluttered opened slowly. Though as soon as he spotted the all too familiar room and lights, his eyes widened. He thrashed around widely, desperately trying to get loose. He could do it. He <em>had<em> to do it. The bounds on his wrists, ankles, neck, and waist were all anti-ghost. He should have known from experience with them. The agents stood towering over him again and he screamed.

"NO! NO! NO!"

He tried to use his powers- any of them. Nothing worked, the anti-ghost bounds blocked it all. He was weak again. He was captured again. He was… their experiment again. He limped into the cold experimentation table and looked up at the ceiling, not daring to look at the scalpels in the agents' hands. He knew what was coming.

He just hoped his friends would get him before he snapped again… Or before the agents _ended_ him.

* * *

><p>Valerie was not in a good mood, in fact she was rather panicked and concerned. She practically ran into the cave, telling them how Danny wasn't at the cliff. The team shared a concerned look- it wasn't like Danny to do something like that. He didn't just ditch someone and he most certainly never disappointed Valerie. She was heartbroken, disappointed, and a bit angry. When she had gotten to the cliffs there was no sign of Danny, but there was something else. The flowers that spelled out the word <em>Date?<em> were plain to see, but some were broken off and weathered despite the short time they would have been abandoned.

Dani put a hand on Valerie's shoulder,

"Don't worry about it, he's fine."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Robin chimed in, bringing up a digital map on the screen in the main room, "Using the tracking device I planted on Danny, I was able to pinpoint to this location."

He pointed to the red dot on the map- the dot was in South America, specifically Brazil. Though it wasn't pulsing, it was a solid color of red.

"At least, this was where it was before it was cut off- either someone found it, or it was destroyed. Either way, not looking good…I'm working on trying to find out if any names we'd recognize are around that area. Maybe then we could find out who took him."

The team tensed, a few narrowed their eyes. It was clear that someone had taken Danny. If someone messed with one of them, they messed with all of them. _No one_ could just take one of their family members and get away with it.

"Team," Kaldur ordered, "Head to the bio-ship. Now."

* * *

><p><em>If they're gonna help me, then I hope they do it quickly,<em> Danny thought as he fell limp. All the strength he had was gone, leaving him weak. He could barely open his eyes to see the agents going over his different organs. His only hope was if there was another break-out or if his teamed saved him, neither of those looked so possible at the moment. Everything seemed bleak and the lights above him were burning into his eyes. He could barely make out the blurry outline of his amulet on the ground nearby. _How did they get off… Anti-ghost tools maybe?_

"Smart idea moving to our station in Brazil," one of the agents mused to themselves before picking up another scalpel.

_Brazil… I'm in Brazil? _Danny bit back a cry as the wounds flared in pain, but he wasn't going to snap. Not this time. He couldn't do that to Valerie, to his team. He couldn't work so hard to get to the point where he was now only for to crumble. He had to stay mentally strong. He had to stay sane. _But these bastards are going to pay for daring to return._

He let out an agonizing scream as they cut into him, reopening the stitches.

_Please… please help…_

* * *

><p>Bayou whistled as he worked on two potions (since he never did go to the Council like he promised, he had the time). One would disguise them as humans. Another would get rid of their ghostly signature- <em>for good<em>- so ghost hunters wouldn't be able to find them. He usually didn't have that problem, but it would help with his ghostly signature and red eyes. He wanted to take Loa out on the town in New Orleans for old times' sake. He couldn't do that if he had to worry about ghost hunters- no way he would risk Loa getting hurt. Plus, her red skin and bright yellow eyes made it impossible to be pass for a normal human.

However, he didn't notice that Loa was not moving. She was standing in the shack, staring off into space with a dazed look in her eyes. She never got visions as often as she used to- not much really went on in the human world and being unable to see ghosts made it not as usual. Finally, she snapped back to reality and turned to Bayou frantically. She grabbed onto his arm and started to pull him out of the shack.

"Whoa there darlin'," Bayou protested, "Where we goin'?"

"We have to go to Danny," Loa said firmly.

"With all your thinkin' about him, I have half the mind to be jealous," Bayou said teasingly, nudging her slightly with a grin.

His grin disappeared when he noticed the look in her eyes- the look of horror and panic. He stopped nudging her and grabbed her shoulders gently, looking into her teary eyes,

"Hey now, don't cry, darlin'. We can go to 'im, but I just be needin' to know what's the emergency."

"The Guys in White," Loa whispered, "I had a vision. It doesn't work on ghosts, but the agents are human and… Bayou, we be needin' to help him. He's a mighty fine boy that be needin' someone's help."

Bayou frowned slightly before grabbing one of the potions he was working on. The large bottle was big enough for two ghosts to take. He held it to Loa's lips. Trusting him, she drank until he pulled the bottle away. She looked at him questioningly as she felt a small tingle go through her body.

"That be made for hidin' your ghostly signature," Bayou said as he pocketed the rest of the bottle, "I'll help the boy, I like him too, but you always come first darlin'. I don't want those nasty ghost hunters to be a gettin' you. I saw first hand what they can do…"

Loa grabbed his hand tightly and nodded solemnly. His short time with the Guys in White had hurt him a bit more than he let on- she knew that. At least he talked about it with her and was working on it. He was brave for going to them willingly to save their friend.

"You need to drink the other half," Loa said pleadingly, "Then they won't be findin' you either."

"Nah," Bayou shook his head, "I can escape them easily, just like I did before, but the boy be needin' this potion more than I…"

Loa smiled and kissed his cheek,

"That be the brave man I love… Let's go, shall we? The agent in the vision mentioned Brazil."

* * *

><p>By the time they reached the general location of where the connection had ended, Robin was cursing under his breath as they went through the jungle. Kaldur and Connor looked back at him curiously as Robin looked up at the team,<p>

"Guys. I recognized one of the names of the places nearby. I know who took him."

"Who," Valerie demanded harshly, causing Robin to narrow his eyes.

"The Guys in White," Robin said bitterly, causing their eyes to widened.

Dani clung to Valerie's arm in fear. M'gann let out a horrified cry as did Dani and Zatana. Artemis clenched her fists, Connor growled, and Wally cursed. Kaldur glared slightly,

"Then we must hurry. His life, afterlife or not, is at risk. Robin, contact the League."

"Do you think-"

"-Now," Kaldur said firmly, "We will not risk Danny's well being. With the league, there will be no possible outcome in which the Guys in White escape or do not go to trail. _Contact them."_

Robin gave a nod and quickly whispered into his wrist where the communicator was as to not distract the team from moving forward. Everyone was tense, angry and concerned. They were angry that the Guys in White got hold of Danny again. They were concerned that they may not get there in time to save him.

_"What if we don't get there in time,"_ M'gann said softly over the link.

_"No,"_ Kaldur thought, "_None of us must think that way. We are going to save him. Robin?"_

_"League's contacted. Batman, Superman, Green Arrow, Canary and Wonder Woman are on their way, but they said we shouldn't go any farther without them."_

_"I'm afraid we must disappoint them. Team, continue on. M'gann, can you sense him?"_

_"If he was in range of my telepathic abilities, we would be getting his thoughts over the link,"_ M'gann explained, _"I'm sorry."_

"Guys," Valerie said, "Sensors picking up a ghost."

"Danny," Robin asked hopefully, but Valerie shook her head,

"No. Signature's different than his. Don't know who it is, but they're heading our way."

"How far," Kaldur asked.

"Ten feet," Valerie said, causing Kaldur to frown,

"Without Danny, our offenses against ghosts are not good. Should we engage in a fight, could you, Zatana and Dani take them down?"

"You bet," Valerie smirked, holding up a gun.

She was itching for a fight, if anything for her to let off some steam and stress. She almost hoped that it was a bad ghost just so she could fight. However, if it was a good ghost, which was unlikely, then it could be dealt with quickly. They couldn't afford to lose any precious time. At Kaldur's order, the team treaded on, prepared for fighting a ghost- or rather defending themselves against the ghost while Zatana, Robin (with his iron), Valerie and Dani took the ghost down.

"Nearing it," Valerie informed the team as Dani's ghost sense went off.

The team stopped as Valerie informed them that the ghost was just in front of them. Dani had ectoblasts ready to fire and Valerie had her gun pointed out. Zatana was mentally prepared with multiple helpful spells. Robin had his iron knuckles on. There a rumbling in the bushes and they could hear voices.

"I'm tellin' you darlin', it's that way," a male voice said.

"No," a female voice replied, "It's this way. My vision. My lead."

"But Gracie, doll-"

"-Don't doll me," the female voice tsk'ed, "We've been out here for a while and much as I love roughin' it, this is getting ridiculous and tirin'."

The male voice grumbled inaudibly, but the team could still recognize the voices. Valerie and Dani lowered their defenses, but Zatana stayed ready. The team tensed, but they were glad that it wasn't an enemy- well, it wasn't that the ghosts were _friends_ (Loa was borderline). However, they knew if Loa was there then Bayou hopefully wouldn't fight.

A second late the two ghosts emerged. Loa looked disgruntled and was glaring lightly at Bayou, who had the grace to look a bit sheepish. They both turned to the team with smiles, Loa's smile seemed natural while Bayou's smile seemed a bit forced.

"Well, look what we have here," Loa said cheerfully, "So glad to see you again, spitfire, Hunter. Glad to see you are a headin' to your friend."

Valerie and Dani shared a look. Danny told them both about the incident in New Orleans and how he met up with Bayou again and met Loa for the first time. The male ghost must be Bayou and despite how much they adored Loa- they hoped she was okay with being together with the questionable ghost.

"How do you know about that," Kaldur said suspicious about the group.

Valerie was frowning to herself, glaring at her ghost sensors.

"Better question- how come only one of you is showing up on my sensors?"

Dani gave a chipper wave to Loa, who returned it before turning to Valerie,

"That be a special potion my Bayou wiped up. He was plannin' on taking it himself too so we could go down in New Orleans for an anniversary without worryin' about ghost hunters. But we're here cause I had a vision of poor ol' Danny boy in trouble, we came here to help and rescue him."

Loa stood a bit straighter, prouder. Bayou smiled charmingly at the group,

"The potion is my own design. I gave half of it to Loa should somethin' happen 'ere, she could get away without 'em chasin' her. But I saved the other half so I could give it to the boy."

"And if you get caught," Wally asked.

"I can get out easily enough like I did 'efore," Bayou explained easily, "But I be needin' to keep my darlin' safe. She comes first."

He put a hand on Loa's waist to bring her a bit closer to him protectively. Valerie nodded, appreciating that despite Bayou's questionable actions, he did care for his mate whole heartedly. Though it did make her miss Danny. M'gann almost 'awed' at the words and action- it was nice to see that even in death, love was present so fully. Connor rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but to glance at M'gann as Wally glanced at Artemis.

"Now what we waitin' around 'ere for," Loa said, "We got us a ghost to rescue."

* * *

><p>Danny squirmed on the table, struggling against the restraints despite the pain over his entire body. Deep down, he knew that the only reason he hadn't given up yet was because he had people waiting for him, worrying about him. He had to get free. He screamed as the wounds in his body were torn open from his struggling. His core ached and he was only thankful that they hadn't messed with it yet. His ectoplasm covered his torn-up clothes and the table. He was sure it covered the floor. He knew it covered the 'tools.'<p>

_I will get free,_ he thought fiercely, _Please guys… I could really use your help… _

* * *

><p><em>"I will get free,"<em> Danny's voice came over the link, _"Please guys I could really use your help…"_

The team shared a hopeful look mixed with surprise. M'gann nearly jumped with glee,

"_Danny,"_ she thought over the link, _"Danny! We're here! We're almost there!"_

_"…Megan? Guys? You…You're here?"_

_"'Course we're here, you idiot,"_ Valerie thought with a scoff, _"Someone needs to save you."_

_"Thanks for your heartfelt words. Really touched my heart…"_

Dani covered her chuckle with a cough while Robin openly laughed. All of them were now relived knowing that their friend was alright- well as alright as he could be considering he was a ghost and captured by ghost hunters.

_"Glad to see that despite the fact of you being captured, you retained your attitude,"_ Valerie retorted.

_"Well considering all of my organs were rearranged and put back into place, I have to keep something the same." _

Despite the small humor in his voice, the team winced at what he was implying. He was not okay. They need to move- fast. Being closer to him now, Valerie's scanner was able to pick him up and M'gann could sense him. With them combined, they were quickly making their way to the base.

"Do you ever get the sense you're missin' somethin'," Loa said to Bayou, who shrugged.

Turning to the ghosts, M'gann smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry- here."

_"Can you here me now,"_ M'gann said over the link.

_"Loud and clear,"_ Loa informed her, _"Nifty little trick ya got there. I take it Danny boy is found then?"_

_"I hope your using that term loosely, considering I'm still stuck in the Guys in White,"_ Danny said, _"And hello to you too."_

_"She didn't mean nothin' bad, boy,"_ Bayou tsk'ed, "_We be helpin' 'em get ya." _

The conversation fell silently as they finally spotted the base. The compound was smaller than they imagined, but the number of agents were actually higher than they thought. The compound was white with a ghost shield and electric fence that no doubt had a lot of sensors for security. Agents stood guard near the entrance at the fence and to the compound itself. Other agents were roaming freely with large guns. All of them in white suits and sunglasses.

_"Danny, we're here,"_ M'gann informed him, at no reply, she repeated herself.

There was still no answer and everyone shared a look of concern.

_"He's still on the scanners,_" Valerie informed them, creating a bit of relief that he was still there.

Screaming filled their minds- Danny's screams. It caused Connor to scream and clutch his ears while every one else winced and cried out before finally, it subsided.

_"I…I… Help…,"_ Danny's voice pleaded weakly.

* * *

><p>It didn't take them long before they had entered the compound, taking down any agents that got in their way. Thanks to Robin's hacking, the shield was down allowing Loa and Bayou into the area. Their original plan was to be discrete, however when KF had ran (literally) into an agent, Plan A was out the window. Robin had easily hacked into the mainframe, being hooked directly into it, to disarm the alarms, but he was having issues finding where Danny may be- he was only able to narrow it down to one specific hall.<p>

Now it was time for Plan B- get Danny out by any means. Connor destroyed the poles and steel of the compound to use it as 'rope' to tie the agents (without killing them) to the wall. With many of them stuck or knocked out, finding Danny should have been easy… Except that there were too many cells to choose from and they were getting no reply on the mental link.

"He has to be around here somewhere," M'gann informed them, "He _has_ to be."

They split up as they ran down the hall, looking through every and each window on the door, occasionally having to open a door to look inside. Their hearts went out for the many ghosts they came across that were torn open or screaming. Some even appeared to be little kids. All of them were being tortured in different ways. It was horrible. Loa grabbed onto Bayou's arm tightly with tears in her eyes. His grip on her waist tightened as he tried not to cry himself. Loa bit her lip before finally, she spoke up,

"Fellas, ladies," she said, "You go get Danny boy…. I have somethin' I be needin' to do…"

She pulled away from Bayou, despite his protests, and flew off. Bayou cursed, but knew that if Loa was set on doing something then there was no stopping her. The team turned at Bayou briefly and he looked at them apologitically,

"I be back soon as my girl is alright."

He zoomed after her. Disappointed, but understanding, the team continued on until Robin called out to the team,

"I FOUND HIM!"

They all ran over in a slight panicked frenzy, only to stop in the doorway in horror. Danny was still 'alive'. His eyes were opened and he stared at them weakly. His body was stitched up, but there was ectoplasm everywhere. Robin had seen a lot of gruesome stuff working with Batman, but even he had to swallow the bile that rose up in his throat at the sight. Connor (being the strongest) was the one who broke Danny free from the restraints and carried him in his arms, a concerned Dani and Valerie right at his side.

"Danny, can you hear me," Valerie kept repeating to the ghostly teen.

He nodded, only to wince and bite back a cry of pain.

"I… I hear you," he whispered weakly, "I… Can I… Can I rest now?"

The team continued to run through the halls, desperate to get outside to get to the bio-ship (which M'gann had called to them). They needed to get Danny to the medical bay and fast.

"No," Robin said firmly, "You have to stay awake. Talk to us. Tell us something. Anything. A story. Something. You have to stay awake."

"I… A story," Danny said confused, his voice sounded raspy and sore, "I… Okay… Once, I met a yeti."

"A yeti," Wally asked in disbelief.

Danny laughed as his reaction, the action causing his body pain, which caused him to cry out softly. He continued,

"His name was Frostbite… Val and Dani know about him… He… My friends and I were lost in the Ghost Zone… I was trying… _and failing_…to make a map… We ended up in the Far Frozen… Everyone there were yeti-like ghosts, covered in fur and _huge_… Frostbite was the leader… He knew about me and he was friendly… But there was only one way for us to get back home…"

"A dangerous series of trails," Artemis guessed.

"Challenging their best warrior," Wally guessed as well.

"No," Danny shook his head, "A map… The Infi-Map… It could take you anywhere in any time, you just had to speak where… And…. I… Is the world spinning?"

His eyes squinted and Valerie looked at him in concern. The team stopped as they reached outside, just as the League arrived. Their mentors looked at the damage they caused and their eyes narrowed until they spotted Danny in Connor's arms.

"He… They did it to him," Connor explained with a growl, "We didn't get here fast enough! We had to get to him!"

"We understand," Superman said with a concerned look and a nod.

Batman took the ghost out of Connor's arms.

"We will discuss everything later. Everyone head to the cave, _now_."


	21. Finale

**Chapter 20- Finale:**

**Third Person:**

There was hell to pay and Batman was going to make sure it happened. It wasn't long after Danny was rescued that he managed to take down the Guys in White- their resources, their agents, their _everything._ There was nothing left of the Guys in White- all of their compounds were destroyed as was their weapons, jets, and every other material item. Of course, all of that happened _after_ Batman made sure they knew what true pain was. According to the team, there were two ghosts named Bayou and Loa who helped and while they didn't go into detail, it was clear that those two were responsible for all the ghosts being freed from all the compounds around the world (as the team's description matched the description given to him by one of the freed ghosts in Australia). Finally, the Guys in White were then taken down _legally_ for multiple murders, illegal experimentations, inhumane experiments, illegal genetic experiments, and many other charges that made sure that the Guys in White would _never_ come back.

He never personally met Bayou and Loa, but he knew if he ever did he would thank them for helping his boy. If Danny woke up, he was sure that the boy would thank them too. _When _ he woke up. He was going to wake up. He was going to be okay. Batman knew it, he could feel it in his gut, even if Danny was still unconscious in the medical room. He _had_ to be okay. Batman had the legal papers for adoption in his hands. He needed the boy to sign them- he needed a way to keep a constant eye on Danny. He was originally going to adopt Danielle as well- as he knew it would help put Danny's worries about her to rest. He hoped that Danny would accept, unlike his 'cousin.'

Batman glanced briefly through the window of the door into the room where Danny still laid. He wasn't breathing and his eyes were closed peacefully. If it wasn't for the fact that (according to Valerie and Dani) when ghosts ended they disappeared and for the occasional twitch of his hand, Danny would be believed to be gone for dead… Valerie was at the bed side, holding onto Danny's hand tightly with her eyes shut tightly to force back any tears. Dani was on the other side of the bed just as worried. The rest of the team were worried for their friend, but were not allowed in the room all at once. He had been out for the past five days. Batman knew without Dani and Valerie's knowledge about ghosts and their functions, he would have ended at least three days ago or would be out for another five.

_He has to be okay,_ Batman thought fiercely.

* * *

><p>Loa smiled to herself as she placed the two potions on the table in the kitchen. She was invisible so even if someone was there, they wouldn't see her. She placed her neatly written note on the potions.<p>

_To: Daniel _

_From: Loa _

_The black one's for your ghostly signature and the other is to boost up your energy. Need anythin' give us a call. Bayou and I say you're always welcomed to our lair. Also, you may not know it, but you just helped me win a bet against my husband- thank you and you take good care of Red. She's got a good heart in her._

With that, she flew away quickly.

* * *

><p>Danny woke up screaming. He shot up in the bed, producing a small ghostly wail with his scream. His eyes were wide and his fists were clenching the sheets. The sound of the wail caused Valerie to put her hands over her ears and cry out. The wail hit the door, causing it to crumble off the hinges and shatter the glass of the window. Danny glanced around frantically- his brain trying to figure out where he was, if he was safe. He relaxed seeing he was in a familiar medical room. He went back to panicking seeing Valerie on the ground, hunched over with her hands clamped over her ears, Dani wasn't off much any better- though she was partly in awe.<p>

He jumped out of bed, his body healed just slightly weak, and rushed to Valerie and Dani's sides.

"Val?! Dani?! Are you okay? Are you alright? Can you hear me? I… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

Valerie put a hand up to silence him as she slowly got up to her feet with his help. Dani grabbed onto the bed frame and pulled herself up. Their heads hurt from a growing headache and everything seemed to be spinning. Danny winced and put a hand on Valerie's arm to help steady her. Danielle had a goofy grin on her face,

"Dude, what was that?!"

"Miniature wail, I guess," Danny shrugged, "Haven't done that before…"

He mused to himself before Valerie finally got her bearings. She kissed him, causing him to smile. Danielle gagged to herself before leaving the room,

"I'll leave you two alone… And remember, I don't want to be an aunt yet."

The two split apart long enough to turn to Danielle, glaring, but she was already out the door laughing loudly. Danny glared at the door and then winced when he realized just how much damage he caused. Valerie put a hand on his shoulder,

"They'll be so happy you're awake and okay that I doubt anyone will be mad about the door or window."

* * *

><p>Dani made her way through the cave in ghost form while on the lookout. Her ghost sense had went off, eventually leading her to the kitchen where she found the potions and a note. She smiled seeing that it was from Loa and Bayou- those two ghosts had their problems, but they weren't necessarily bad. She pocketed the potions and turned to run to the medical bay to give them to Danny, however, she was stopped by Robin.<p>

"What's the emergency?"

The other members entered the area, back from their mission looking worn and a bit tired. Dani jumped up and down,

"Danny's awake," she blurted out before zooming off.

The team shared a look of surprise and shock before running off after her. All of them were eager to see Danny again and to make sure he was alright. However, as they finally got to the medical bay, Dani and Valerie were being practically shoved out of the room by Batman. He turned to the team and glared lightly, causing them to stop in their tracks.

"No one sees him until I talk to him," he said firmly before pressing a button the door, causing a new door to slam down in their faces.

"Bummer," Wally whined.

"Hey Connor, think you could eavesdrop," Robin asked.

"No. Lead."

"Darn," Robin snapped, "And my bug in the room isn't working either…"

* * *

><p>Batman turned to Danny just as the teen gulped down the last of the two potions.<p>

"What are those," Batman asked suspiciously.

"Gifts," Danny answered vaguely, "One's to help heal me, one's to help hide my ghostly signature. Pretty helpful."

Danny shrugged, already feeling better. His body wasn't sore. Everything was healed. He was already feeling reenergized. He would be ready to be back on the field again.

"And how do you feel," Batman questioned, "Fatigue? Tired? Sore?"

"I'm fine," Danny insisted and held up one of the empty bottles, "This took away all that. I'm all healed, ready to get back into the fight again."

Batman narrowed his eyes before sighing. Danny was stubborn as him and Robin. He sat down in the chair beside the bed.

"I am glad that you alright," Batman admitted, "There is something we need to discuss."

"Which is," Danny asked hesitantly, "If it's about the potions- I promise they're safe and Valerie and I dating isn't going to affect our work…"

"No," Batman shook his head, "This is a more personal matter, Daniel."

Danny winced. Batman only used his name like that when it was something serious.

"I wish to discuss the option of you being adopted."

"Adopted," Danny asked confused, "By who? Who would want me?"

Batman just stared at the ghost before finally, Danny's eyes widened in realization.

"You," he whispered, "You want to adopt me…."

"And your answer," Batman pried.

"….Yes," Danny grinned, "Yes, yes! I would… I'm honored!"

Batman nodded,

"Good."

"But Batman? Does this mean I get to know your secret identities?"

Batman just shook his head with a sigh at Danny's goofy grin.

"I totally get to know, don't I?"


End file.
